


God's Blight

by shadowlink06



Series: World in Ruins - The Long Night (FFXV) [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark, Emotional, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:29:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowlink06/pseuds/shadowlink06
Summary: “Ignis…” Ardyn said, for once awestruck by the sight before him. A part of him had known that the retainer might do something foolish to stop the fates of he and Noctis from aligning by the whims of the gods. But even he could not have predicted what desperation would make the man do. “What-” He choked, balling his fists together as he stared at the other man trying not to become upset... but how could he not? “-Do you have any idea what you have just done?!”It was a foolish action. Ignis knew his friends would be furious with him perhaps more so than even Ardyn, but how could he not interfere? If everything was to come to pass, if the players filled their roles as intended… he was going to lose everything. Ardyn’s promise, Noctis’s duty, Bahamut’s desire, and humanity at its breaking point -- all of the players and circumstances had been gathered on the stage waiting for the finale. And Ignis... he couldn’t allow himself to be the bystander knowing what the obvious outcome would be. So he had to do this. “Ardyn,” He said calmly, seeing a mix of pity and sadness going over the demon's face. Even so, he still had to press on before it was too late. “...I need your help.”  [Sequel to Body and Soul] [Ending #1]
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia & Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Cindy Aurum
Series: World in Ruins - The Long Night (FFXV) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800553
Comments: 18
Kudos: 37





	1. Gladio: Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello all! Thank you for joining me for the last installment of the World In Ruins (WiR) series: God’s Blight (GB). The hiatus I took helped me tremendously recalibrate certain aspects of this arc. I am hoping that I don’t have any further issues, but my muses often surprise and frustrate me so we shall see how much I can stick to the script. Also, there is a possibility I might have to split up chapters depending on how long they become, so if you see an extra chapter being added, this is why. Also, if you are planning/have not read Dawn of the Future (DotF), I would not proceed with reading GB as there are going to be spoilers from the novella in this story. 
> 
> To start off with, it is strongly recommended that you read Heart of the King(HofK) and Body and Soul(BaS) to get a good understanding of the nature of this story. Unlike the previous arcs, I will not be using a lot of tags nor doing a lot of commentary on the chapters in order to mask the ending since there will be multiple outcomes possible with how this story has been written. The only disclaimer I will say upfront is there will be the death of a minor character in GB. The themes that were in the previous two arcs will apply to this arc so be prepared for that. This ending was inspired by DotF. I should also add that just about all of these chapters are heavy on emotions (similar to chapters 9 and 12 of BaS), so I do caution you to be mindful of this while reading all chapters within GB.

The wind brought a chill with it when Gladio finally pulled up to the latest outpost. It was only a single building, likely just to keep emergency provisions, but he had come here not for that, but merely as a checkpoint for his travels. As he got off his motorcycle, he could already hear the sounds of hisses from daemons gathering around him. Their eyes reflected back against the body light that Gladio wore. Just by eyeing the creatures he guessed around thirty were here. Although he reached for his greatsword, he already knew how this would end. He felt the vibrations from Titan as the Astral manifested itself and charged towards the horde. As a giant hand swatted the daemons away from the Shield, he couldn’t help but notice his appearances were becoming more frequent. It shouldn’t have been that surprising in hindsight. The further he headed out from Lestallum it was the monsters that ruled - not the people. Although nature had not had a chance to take hold, as Gladio passed city after city it was so strange to see just an absence of people. After Galdin Quay, the higher ups had decided enough was enough. Lestallum would be the new capital and the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive would be moving nearly all of their personnel there to help with the constant construction as people were urged to move to the central location. The hordes were too much to deal with in isolated pockets and Galdin Quay was an indication that the worst was yet to come. 

As the last of the daemons were dispatched, he heard the language from the Astral again. He still couldn’t understand what Titan was trying to say, but the gentle look in his eyes seemed to always say “I’ll protect you.”. Balling up a fist, Gladio gently bumped his fist against the Astral’s foot. “Thanks again big guy.” In a strange way, he attributed the Astral to mostly keeping him alive these days. He had been becoming increasingly unhinged when he had come back from Galdin Quay shortly after the horde attack. Gladio should have been dealing with the logistical side of things when people were being relocated there, but he had been given a reprieve from his duties. Even thinking about that day, a hand went up to his cheek recalling that conversation between himself and Cor.

* * *

He had given his report about the state of Galdin Quay, although he had spent three days trying to find any signs about where Ignis could have gone. There was nothing though, only the outline of footprints from where Prompto had faced off against Ardyn that lead to a parking lot where the Kingsglaive held their vehicles. From there… it was impossible to say where the pair had gone since they had disappeared in the ensuing chaos from the horde. Gladio couldn’t just search Eos blind, he had put effort in finding out everything that he could about what Ardyn was doing here before he could make any moves and so he did. 

The name Emus was of course an alias, the real man that Ardyn had impersonated had been MIA for six months before he showed up on Angelgard after Noctis had disappeared in the crystal. Strangely enough though from speaking to the Kingsglaives that had interacted with Ardyn, it seemed that the persona that he took on was acting not to harm anyone at all. If anything, his motivation seemed to be simply keeping the daemons away from Noctis. Ardyn’s success with keeping the monsters away had earned him praise among those in his rank and even his superiors, but the Usurper never tried to do anything more with his status by climbing the chain of command. This wasn’t the behavior of a spy or even someone intent on espionage. When Gladio listened to the recording of that night of the horde attack, it seemed to hint that too. Ardyn could have harmed Talcott, Prompto, Ignis… any of them at any moment of time, but he hadn’t. 

From what Gladio could make out, Ardyn was forcing Ignis to be in his company for his own deviant pleasure. Several Kingsglaives had mentioned the pair together often, and had come to the same conclusion he reached when he saw Ignis’s bruises at Hammerhead: they were sleeping together. And again the question as to why was on the recording… he was protecting everyone from Ardyn. It was nothing more than an exchange. Given that the Usurper couldn’t be killed it was horrifying, yet explained why Ignis had kept his silence about the affair. What had given the Shield pause though, was why did Ardyn go through the trouble to kidnap Ignis in the aftermath? People were nothing more of amusements to the monster. Yet for some reason, Gladio sensed there was something else going on besides an exchange of pleasure that caused him to confront Prompto or show Ifrit - an Astral that no one had seen since the Inferian had shown up in during Regis’s reign several years ago. 

[“I've torn you down, but I don't intend you to stay here. No…someone like you deserves to be properly cultivated.”]

That comment had haunted Gladio even now. Ardyn had killed Aldercapt, Luna, Ravus, countless others, but for Ignis there was something strange about how the Usurper had dealt with the advisor. It was why he had hope that Ignis, regardless of the circumstances, was alive. Ardyn didn’t sound like he was trying to kill him like the others… no that bastard wanted Ignis to serve him. 

He had not shared the details of the recording with anyone, not even Prompto. He had rationalized it saying that it would do no good, but the actuality was just too painful. He had listened to the audio over and over again for clues, a sign, anything that he could scrutinize that might lead him to finding his friend although the Shield’s efforts were fruitless this far. Maybe if there were more conversations he would have had a better picture, but it hadn’t ended up being the case. 

As much as the Shield wanted to return to normalcy, he could not. He listened to the recording religiously until he had memorized every sentence that he could recite if he so chose. As Prompto was treated, he could only imagine what it was like for his friend not only being beaten half to death by Ardyn, but he had to watch Ignis be taken away. And the guilt of it all ate at Gladio. He could no longer do his job, that was clear when Cor had gotten several complaints about his lack of effort until he was called into the Immortal’s office one day. 

The two had a history together. Here was the man that had trained and mentored Gladio in his youth. It wasn’t just weapon training that made Gladio look up to Cor, it was the way that he had always carried himself for as long as he had laid sight upon the man. He was a natural born leader, able to make the best out of any situation and survived countless trials of death for the sake of not only Lucis, but for his comrades as well. Now Gladio stood before him, unable to utter a word as he was scrutinized. 

“I don’t have to tell you why you are here do I?” Cor started rising from his chair. Paperwork had seemed to have taken most of his time and he tired of sitting behind the desk some days.Nevertheless it did allow him to get a better look at Gladio. The details regarding Gladio’s lack of focus seemed to be warranted. He could make out the bags under his eyes, his hair seemed more disheveled, and there was a look that he couldn’t help but notice cross the Shield’s face that had all the signs of stress and anxiety attached to it. While he knew Gladio stood in front of him, this wasn’t the man that he once knew. 

“I imagine,” Gladio started off, “This has to do with my recent performance.” 

“Lack thereof, but yes.” He waited for Gladio to elaborate on the ‘why’ but it never came. As the silence persisted though Cor moved in front of the younger man so they could stare at each other square in the eyes. “It’s not like you to be this distracted. Shake it off.” 

“I-” Gladio said, “I don’t think I can.” 

Cor appeared to be taken aback by that admission. “Since when do you bow to your emotions? You are a shield, not a kite flying waiting for the wind to spur you to your next destination.” 

But… this was different. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I do not think I am suited to lead the Crownsguard.” 

The commander’s expression darkened as he listened to the Shield. “You have seen worse than the events of Galdin Quay.” Even from the start, Cor suspected there was something else going on surrounding the area. “You’ve even have command of an Astral that has helped stave off horde attacks here.” That in itself was a miracle, to see Titan or even Ramuh appear to help fight the influx of daemons into the area. There were a lot of rumors going around why it was only those two that had received the blessings of the gods, but all agreed that Noctis somehow had played a role in saving them all. Small as it might have been, Cor had to acknowledge that the miracles did give the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive more of an edge when it came to convincing people to abandon their homes. With the power of the King protecting them, it also was helping fight the nasty rumors that Noctis was either dead or had abandoned his people. 

This wouldn’t be enough… not until he found Ignis though. Gladio was thankful for the power but it meant nothing if he couldn’t use it to protect the people that he cared about. That was hurt the most because he realized late of all of the actions he could have taken to somehow change the events of the past. “I wish to step down leading the Crownsguard, sir.” Gladio saw the fist coming towards him as he uttered those words, but didn’t move. The blow from the Immortal knocked him clear on his ass as he found his gaze slowly rolling up to the commander. 

Although Cor only landed one blow, he was poised to hit Gladio again as he balled his fist up as if daring the Shield to retaliate for striking him. When it was apparent that wouldn’t happen, he spoke. “You think you are the only one in Eos that has lost someone precious to them?” The emotion had gone out of his voice as he stared at Gladio. “You aren’t boy… not even fucking close.” 

Gladio’s hand went to his cheek feeling the tissue swell slightly. Even without looking back at Cor he responded. “I’m not cut out for this.” 

“So you just want to quit? Wallow in your own misery and failures?” 

“That’s right.” 

Cor stared down at him. “Are you really going to walk away from your duty that you swore to Noctis and even Regis?” 

That had given the Shield pause. “I would never…” 

“-Bullshit.” The Immortal growled. “That is exactly what you are doing. Something didn’t work out the way you wanted, and instead of trying to confront it… you cower in the corner like a child.” 

Gladio didn’t try to dispute that observation but he was finding it harder to function. Between the guilt and simply knowing that Ignis was somewhere with Ardyn in Eos after everything that had happened, keeping up this charade in front of everyone was damned well impossible now. It was why he was here after all. 

“You’ve not been acting like yourself since you came back from Galdin Quay.” Cor murmured. He’d heard that Prompto also had been severely injured and Gladio had been looking for Scientia since that day like a maniac. Something clearly had happened that was eating at the man, but if Gladio wasn’t telling him shit now… then likely he wouldn’t get the answers. He had known the Shield for far too long to realize that such silence was likely a private matter. He had been told about Ardyn from the Galdin Quay commander and pieces from Gladio and Prompto, but there was a lot of nuance there that left a lot of questions. For the sake of Ignis’s honor and family name, Cor had done his best to silence the idea that Ignis had known that Ardyn - or rather Emus was a spy. The other rumors he had been hearing though… he couldn’t prevent the gossip from tearing through the ranks. “I want an honest answer Amicitia.” He said, “Are you doing this to look for Scientia?” 

It was hard not to become emotional hearing the retainer’s name. Lately that is all the Shield could think about. But it was true… he wanted time to try to look for him. Even if the odds were against him, even if Prompto was convinced that Ignis was already dead. Just a confirmation, a piece of clothing, a word of mouth that someone had seen Ignis in his final moments would have been sufficient enough to stop him from agonizing over the other possibilities that his mind was coming up with. “Yes.” 

The real reason wasn’t surprising, he knew that the two were close. Nevertheless Cor had to tell the truth. “Scientia is missing… likely dead you know.” Cor stated in a matter of fact tone. “No one has come across him since the horde attack. I assume I don’t need to bring up the obvious conclusion to you.” 

“I still have to try to find him.” The Shield said. 

“Even if it is a one in a million chance you’ll ever find any evidence he’s alive... or even dead?” 

“It’s still a chance regardless.” 

Cor leaned against the desk, folding his arms over his chest. “I hate the position you are putting me in. But I guess it can’t be helped.” He seemed to be wrestling with what to do to not only stop Gladio from doing something foolish, but also give the man time to himself. “I’m not allowing you to leave your post over this. But I damned well can’t have you moping around the recruits and constantly distracted by this.” 

Gladio didn’t even know how to respond to Cor. In his head, this was supposed to be a simple conversation. There were plenty of people that could have led the Crownsguard far better than him at that moment. He didn’t think he was capable of it and didn’t deserve that title anymore. Cor was supposed to just accept his resignation and go from there, but it hadn’t played out like he expected. 

“You’ve been working yourself to death since Prince Noctis disappeared. I suppose you are due for some personal time off. If you really feel that this is necessary, then search for Scentia to your heart's content without worrying about your duties for the time being.” There was a pause as Cor considered the rest of this stipulation. “However… I want you back here in three months time. No more excuses, no more discussions, no more distractions about this again. Find what you are looking for, if not, do what we all do… pray and hope that he is at peace. Wherever the Astral’s may have taken him.” No matter how the commander looked at it, it wouldn’t be healthy for Gladio to continue this obsession. This way he’d give the man a period that he could mourn, pursue his task as impossible as it might have been and still retain his title. Cor could have probably found someone to do Gladio’s job, but that wasn’t the point in this. He needed the Shield to man up and he would not allow his loss to consume him. 

The Shield picked himself off the floor as he listened to the terms. There was no use arguing with Cor about how unfair it was, but he had been given a chance to leave. In the end that is what he wanted and despite the reservations he still had about Cor refusing to fire him, he couldn’t waste precious time in Lestallum. He didn’t want to stay here. 

“This was not an invitation for you to die either, Gladiolus.” Cor said softly as the Shield was about to leave the room. “You still have work to do among the living. You can do actions that help those still here, remember that.” 

* * *

So here he was in month two, still searching for Ignis to no avail. The first stop had been to Gralea, the logical choice where Ardyn might have gone. He was surprised how devastated the once proud Imperial capital was and that suddenly explained why he wasn’t able to get a hold to anyone in the region. Apparently the Usurper had thought fit to burn the place that he had grown up in. The MTs had turned on their handlers, the daemons escaped from their cages, and the city had been reduced to ruins. The only silver lining when he had looked for survivors was that he found Aranea and the rest of the human crew she commanded still trying to operate and ferry the Niflheim residents to safety. As it turns out, Ardyn had caused the misfortune to fall on the citizens when he had finally made his move and put Aldercapt out of his misery. The irony was that it was not a member of the Crownsguard or Kingsglaive that had ended the Imperial’s reign, but one of his closest advisors. Even knowing that, Gladio didn’t find any peace knowing that knowledge. It was only that another had met a fate in death. 

Using his bodylight, he examined the map to plan out his next destination. He had finished most of the Niflheim territory and was debating on going to Tenebrae next. He doubted that he would be able to travel the four corners of Eos before his time limit, but he’d try his damned hardest. The next rest stop was a few hours away and as much as he wanted to continue on, his body was telling him to rest. 

As he was moving to get his camping equipment from his motorcycle, he was surprised to hear his COM phone ringing. Short of Prompto, no one was bothering him knowing that he was on leave. But Prompto also knew that he would be gone and seemed to want to give him his space too so the two hadn’t spoke up until now. Perhaps something had happened though and he answered the call. “Amicitia.” 

[“You are a hard man to reach.”] Aranea mused on the other end of the line. 

Hearing the ex-commodore on the other end of the line, Gladio had nearly forgotten he had given her his number when they ran into each other in Gralea. “COM phones aren’t working well out here. Not exactly among civilization anymore.” That was obvious when he had to keep trying to turn in several directions until the static noise from the phone lessened. “Not like you to call me, something up?” 

[“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you did say you were doing a bit of a cross country run. Seems like you meant it.”]

“I did. Not something that I can take lightly.” 

Aranea paused as she considered that. [“I suppose not. But I’m calling to let you know, you can call off your wild goose chase.”] 

Gladio’s eyes widened as she said that. When he finally got a chance to speak to her, he had mentioned that Ignis had gone missing and was looking for him. Though he had neglected the finer details. It was a slim chance that she would encounter him but if she had… Gladio wanted to be informed of it. Surely this had to be a sign of the Astrals. “How… how is he?” He stammered fearing the worst. 

[“Beat up, skinny like a twig, moody, and looks like he’s been through hell, but otherwise in one piece.”] The ex-commodore said honestly. [“There is a lot that I don’t understand, but he’s been resting to recover from whatever happened to him.”] Normally she would have given Ignis the tough-love treatment she had given Prompto when he had been questioning his self worth, but something seemed very different about the circumstances.[”He’s been with me for a few weeks.”]

“Where did you find him?” 

[“Tenebrae if you can believe it. Literally in the Oracle’s home.”] 

Gladio did seem surprised. It was technically still owned by the Empire, but he didn’t think that Ardyn had any attachment for the place. There was nothing of any real significance since Luna and Ravus were gone. And Ardyn… speaking of that bastard. “Was... anyone else with Ignis when you found him?” 

[“Not that I saw anyway. But I have a feeling that it was more than just him there.”] Even Aranea couldn’t help but notice that Ignis looked like he had been all but beat up the way his body was black and blue with numerous bruises. The first impulse had been someone was torturing Ignis, but something didn’t sit right with that scenario either. [“Figure I’d go ahead and let you and Blondie know the good news so you can stop worrying about him.”] 

“No, I really do appreciate you letting me know. Thanks for your help.” 

[“Don’t thank me yet.”] She grumbled softly. [“I don’t need a crystal ball to know you are off doing some crazy daemon purge with your new “friend”.”] Granted, Gladio and Prompto were the likely reason why hordes were not a great concern of Lestallum lately, but she knew damn well why he was being so reckless. [“So cut that out before you wind up in the hospital… or worse.”] 

Gladio said nothing at the accusation. Instead he merely glanced up at Titan who seemed to be watching him with a certain interest. “I wouldn’t worry about that… my “friend” has been making sure I stay out of trouble.” He admitted. Ever since the Titan had appeared, dying by being overwhelmed by a daemon horde had been impossible for him now. 

[“Good.”] The mercenary said. [“We have work to do around here. I already am dealing with my child and Ignis, don’t make me drag your ass to my drop ship for a proper tongue lashing.”]

So… he had been right. Ignis was alive. Even Prompto seemed resigned that the retainer had already met his end and he was always the optimistic one out of all of them. He didn’t doubt the threat that the Usurper posed, but if there was anyone in Eos that could protect Ignis without fail it was him. Ardyn was the one that created darkness, and he understood it best after all. Although had that been the case, there was something else that Aranea didn’t mention. Ignis wasn’t a daemon. In fact she hadn’t mentioned the starscourge at all when she was describing the other man’s state. Either Prompto really had been mistaken or the sickness had been brought under control. Gladio didn’t mention this though not wanting to alarm the woman instead he wanted to make sure that he kept another promise. “Can I ask you one more favor?” 

[“What is it?”] 

“When you pass by Leide…. Could you drop Ignis off at Hammerhead? If that’s not possible, could you tell Cid that Ignis is alright? I’m sure he’d like to hear it in person rather than through the phone.” The old man didn’t say much regarding Ignis to him anymore, but the concern was painfully obvious. 

[“Hmm, Hammerhead huh?” Can’t say when I’ll be back that way but I’ll be sure to pass the message on. Take care of yourself until then, kid.”] Abruptly she cut the call leaving Gladio to finish whatever he was doing. 

As the phone receiver was taken away, the Shield kept processing the news. The natural reaction was relief. He’d get a second chance to correct the wrongs he had done towards his friend. But as he looked at Titan, he had to acknowledge that finding Ignis had been the challenging part but trying to apologize… that would be so much harder. “Where do I even begin?” He whispered. He supposed as long as he knew were Ignis was he’d not have to rush off to find him yet again. But he wondered if he should spend what was left of his time trying to find the right set of words to explain himself. The memory of the recording started to play back inside of his head causing him to grit his teeth. Never again… never again could he make such a mistake like this. As he continued to set up camp for the night he pondered the day he’d see Ignis. When he did, he knew everything that he needed to say would be not only the truth, but give him the respect and sincerity that he had denied his friend for so long. He wondered if such words existed in the human language that could relay such feelings. It seemed impossible, but he damned sure was going to try. 


	2. Ignis: Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unlike Gladio or Prompto though, she didn’t expect him to act a certain way. Because of that unfamiliarity, there was no preexisting expectation that Aranea had. It was why Ignis could tell her the truth. And it was so nice to see the retainer express something besides that blank face of indifference when she first found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reader of mine did remind me I should put a disclaimer up about God’s Blight so here it is. If you are planning to read/haven’t read the Dawn of the Future (DotF) novella, you should not read this fanfiction until you have done so. While the events from DotF have gotten/will be warped for this story’s continuity, I have referenced the novella heavily and it will contain spoilers from the source material.

Ignis’s eyes slowly opened from sleep. His gaze had been pulled to the window that looked outside at the world below. He could make out the faint traces of clouds which meant that he was in the air. It was a common occurrence as the drop ship always seemed to be going somewhere. Aranea had given him her captain’s quarters to rest since he had been rescued from Tenebrae. It was certainly spacious, and felt like he was in an actual room. Ignoring everything being bolted down and the metallic sheen of the walls, it could have been passed as one. This room seemed to be soundproof too. Never did he hear anyone between the walls though he knew the drop ship housed many areas. It hinted at the Empire’s ability to somehow build a ship that was comfortable in the constant wars they waged against the Lucian empire. He had been freed by Ardyn, but the past few weeks had him sleeping well over half of the day. If Aranea was bothered by it, she hadn’t voiced her concerns, allowing him to recover while she continued her mission of relocating Niflheim residents to the new capital. Occasionally she or a small girl came in to give him a plate of food but he was usually asleep to hold a conversation. The few times over the past week he had managed to be up when Aranea came in, she had always told him not to worry about anything going on around him and take it easy. Perhaps she sensed something was wrong and was too polite to push the matter. 

When he had first arrived, she had seen the bruises along his body and grew concerned. Even with Ignis trying to assure her that he was fine, Aranea had still pushed the buttons away from his shirt and exposed the marred flesh underneath. She had no potions on hand so had to settle with using the first aid kit. Even though the scent of the alcoholic solution bothered his nose, he didn’t seem to feel any pain as she dressed the wounds. The majority of them were just scratches, where fingernails had dug into the skin or teeth had bitten him possessively. A few areas had gotten slightly infected but nothing that the ex-commodore couldn’t handle with repeat redressing and cleaning the wounds. It was strange how nothing hurt, or perhaps Ignis was just so numb the feeling was out of his capacity. Eventually he was laid down on his back as he stared at the ceiling letting the woman do as she wished. 

“Is... below the beltline like this?” She asked him when she had finally finished with his upper body. 

That should have been Ignis’s cue to cover himself up. It didn’t take much effort to know why she was asking such a question. “More than likely.” He finally murmured. 

For the longest time, Aranea had said nothing as she wrestled to proceed or let the man have his privacy. Ultimately, her instincts had kicked in, and she placed a hand over Ignis’s pants. “I need to make sure that the damage is minimal.” 

Maybe it was the way she was trying to keep her voice even that finally had Ignis’s mouth spasm and a small sound wailed up in the back of his throat. What he wanted to say was her to leave it be, but he had trouble trying to force the words out as delicate hands unbuttoned his trousers. He just looked away as the ex-commodore began to clean up the noticeable wounds. The shame that Ignis thought that he would feel was suspiciously gone even as he felt her hands running over his intimate parts. It shouldn’t have mattered. Ardyn had conditioned him to be seen like this many times before, so what was one more time? 

“I’m going to be using the cloth on you, so bare with me for a bit.” Each movement that she wished to do was always stated before she actually proceeded to allow Ignis time to process what was happening to him. When she had finished cleaning the man up, Aranea had covered the retainer under the sheets gently running a hand down his face. “Get some rest kid.” 

She hadn’t needed to tell him that though, his body was worn out enough and he easily succumbed to the darkness as he was allowed to sleep in comfort for the first time in a long time. 

* * *

The ritual after was always the same. Aranea checked in on him, offered food, and told him of her plans so he wasn’t completely in the dark. While she didn’t prevent him from leaving, Ignis never really wanted to go out and see anyone. The world that he was growing comfortable with was the window that he stared at laying in bed. To see people besides Aranea and that little girl brought forth anxieties that he didn’t understand himself. Never would he have thought that being able to see again would have made him fear people, but he couldn’t help himself when he was able to see expressions on people’s faces. Ignis still had trouble acknowledging that one of his senses had come back to him. There were days that he kept his eyes closed since he had become so accustomed to using his other senses to get a handle of the world around him. When Aranea brought him back to the drop ship though, he saw himself for the first time and realized how much his body had declined. The weight loss was hard to overlook. He had not been starving himself, but the stress and anxiety had certainly made him turn to food less. No doubt he would have been anorexic had he not had to force himself to eat meals with Talcott or advise the kitchen staff what was wrong or right about a recipe. 

It was alarming how bruised up he was. He recalled how Gladio had commented on it before and now he knew why his friend had been so concerned. It was like his skin had been painted black and purple with the ugly lesions that had marred his form. The days had passed, and the visible markings had gone away, but the mental scars haunted him. There were times where he still thought he smelled aftershave and sandalwood, thought he could hear Ardyn speaking to him, or he saw the familiar locks of auburn hair out of the corner of his eyes. And that was perhaps the biggest adjustment that Ignis was trying to come to terms with… he could see again. 

The eyes that he had… it made him seem no longer human. He had first picked up that something was wrong in the way that Biggs and Wedge seemed to be taken aback when Aranea had first brought him back. At the time, he thought it was just seeing who it was within the mansion. But when he saw other refugees that hadn’t known him at all giving him the same look, that is when he realized something was wrong. It took him looking in the mirror to see the odd discrepancy to realize what was going on. The sclera being black instead of white made him be taken aback by how foreign he must have looked to others. In fact, as he passed by one child on the way to Aranea’s quarters one day, the boy had asked his mom if Ignis was a daemon. That statement had even the ex-commodore glance down at the boy and just smile. “No,” She said. “He is one of the friendly faces that I’ve ever known. No need to worry about him.” The mother honestly looked like she wanted to say something, but even though Ignis couldn’t see Aranea’s face, the frightening look the mother gave was enough to end whatever conversation was about to occur. 

Although the physical appearance was an abnormality, that was the only fault his new eyesight gave him. If anything, Ignis could see far better than he had before. He had always needed glasses as a child. Not that he was legally blind, but it had always been a habit of his to be able to see the world around him in 20/20 vision. Even a slight discrepancy would have bothered him, and so he had just decided that it was best to correct his near-sightedness when he was allowed to attend official meetings with the Insomnian council. He had rationalized it to be able to analyze data accurately in order to perform his tasks. Now though, if the drop ship was low enough, he could make out the forms of daemons in the dark. Before, he hadn’t thought much of it but now… he was starting to wonder if restoring his sight was all Ardyn had given him. 

Ever since Ardyn had removed the scourge, there had been something wrong with his dreams. It was as though he was seeing visions of the past. None of what he had saw had to do Ignis at all. At first he thought he was just suffering from stress, but as he kept having the same dreams time and time again he suspected they were memories - specifically Ardyn’s. He had recognized Somnus. The man had looked so much like Noctis it was a wonder how Ardyn had masked his contempt so well when they had first encountered the demon. It had become obvious though their personalities couldn’t have been any more different than night and day. 

Here was a man who was ambitious to his core, that looked for practical reasons and pushed personal feelings aside all for the sake of building the ancient foundations of Lucis. If there was a stereotypical “bad” King to be spoken about in fairytales, it would have been Somnus. It was an irony that history had been whitewashed and painted the Founder King as a pious individual looking out for the well being of his people. Perhaps in a way he had. That much was true as the Lucis-Caelums managed to stay in power for so long, but in Somnus’s desire to take the throne he had caused a host of problems that resonated in the form of Ardyn and the starscourge. 

At the core of the issue, neither man could be truly faulted. Ignis understood the compassion that Ardyn held to try to save as many lives as he could without killing them. Somnus wished to limit the plague by cutting off the source as quickly as possible. In the end, Somnus’s practicality won, but the price Ardyn paid was beyond unfair. He kept seeing the image of an Oracle that looked painfully so like Luna and just as compassionate. This was the lover he spoke of, yet Ardyn watched as she was struck down trying to protect her beloved from a false prophecy by the gods. Or perhaps it was by the gods' design that Ardyn had to fall for only one brother could have seized the throne. The people that the Lucis-Caelums governed were already split upon showing allegiance to the healer of the people and fearing the mass murderer that justified his actions all for the sake of their salvation.

Fear is the reason why Somnus was ultimately able to control the will of the people. Between the guards being forced to submit to the campaign to stamp out the starscourge or nipping any dissonance that any person held towards himself in favor of his brother they were murdered. One kingdom, one mind, one goal. It was why Ardyn had to be erased for he interfered with that image of a perfect world. A monster they had called him. A marvel Verstael had spoken passionately to him, a victim of circumstances well out of his control. 

This was why despite everything that Ignis had been put through, he found himself thinking about the Usurper often. It was a cruel irony considering the retainer could think of nothing but fleeing from Ardyn's sight from the moment this ordeal had begun, and even participating in ending the bastard’s life. But now, Ignis was at a loss. Ardyn had abused him, took advantage of him, manipulated him... but that wasn’t all he had done. The demon had saved him. It would have been easy to just pass it off as another trick but that wasn’t so simple. Brief as the exchange was, one thing that was hard to overlook was that Ardyn _did_ want him. Not just as a vessel for pleasure or a mind he could twist to his whims, but a lover like the one he lost. And even if he hadn’t seen the memories of the other man, his actions proved that he still had that lingering sincerity and heart that Somnus revolted and seemed jealous to lack in his very personality. Ardyn could heal people the same way he could destroy people... and he had saved Ignis. So shocked was he by the demon's actions, the retainer didn’t even thank him before they parted. Ardyn didn’t have to do any of these actions, but he had. That bothered Ignis as he was freed and given his sight told to enjoy himself before the decisive day came where he and Noctis would clash. 

The more that he thought about it, Noctis wouldn’t step down from his calling. Not with everything that Ardyn had done to Insomnia. In a way it would be to fulfill his duty by the Astrals, but another it would be revenge. And ironically it was those same principles that were driving Ardyn to his destiny as well. There had to be a way to stop this. When he was awake, all Ignis could think about was figuring out a way to keep the pair from meeting each other. Ignis understood Ardyn was doing this out of spite but on the other he knew a part of it… the Usurper had always wished to die. Whether he was defeated or not, Ardyn would win. Noctis and Ignis by contrast… they had everything to lose.   


A knock on the door had Ignis jolted out of his growing issues. Aranea walked in carrying a sandwich on a plate and glass of water. “You are up early.” Aranea said as she placed the food on the nightstand. “Guessing you are starting to feel a bit better?” 

“I am. Forgive me for taking up so much of your time.” 

“Is that what you think?” When Ignis didn’t answer her, she sighed softly. “I swear to god, why must you men be so-” She shook her head trying to find the right phrase to use, when it didn’t come to mind she just settled on what came to mind first. “-Manly all the time.” 

Ignis didn’t quite understand what she was talking about and frowned. 

“Look,” The ex-commodore spoke. “You’ve been through hell. Stop trying to gloss over that fact. I thought Prompto was bad at covering up his insecurities, but you are actually worse.”

“Is that what you call it?” 

“Only one symptom.” Aranea murmured joining him by sitting on the edge of the bed. “You keep crying out in your sleep.” Aranea said. “I can’t exactly make out what you are saying but… you always seem to be in pain.” 

Ignis never had a case of that before, but then again he blamed his nightmares for the growing concern. “I’ll… be alright.” 

“You’ve been saying that phrase since you arrived kid.” The ex-commodore mused softly. “I don’t exactly believe you.” 

“I’m not trying to lie.” Ignis replied though he looked down. Maybe… he just didn’t know what to say anymore. 

The woman saw the retainer’s expression and softened her voice. “I thought you were supposed to be the most even tempered out of the bunch.” But then Aranea thought back of seeing Gladio in Gralea and running into Prompto in Lestallum. “But perhaps you still are…” And that was saying something when she considered how much the personalities of the men had changed. “You’ve been out of the loop for some time, but your friends have been worried sick about you.” 

Hearing the news wasn’t surprising. The last image of Prompto Ignis had was the gunner being nearly beaten to death by Ardyn. Likely he would have told Gladio what had happened but given the circumstances, Ignis couldn’t have expected them to rescue him when he had been imprisoned. 

“Gladio…” Aranea went on. “He’s been desperately looking for you. Seemed damn torn up when I ran into him at Gralea a month ago.” 

There was hurt that flickered over his face at that statement. Ignis wasn’t sure what outcome he was expecting when the pair found out what was really going on. Never had he considered what they would do or even think of him. 

The woman saw the gesture and sighed softly. “They also mentioned Ardyn was in your company… assuming that he was the one you were with at that mansion.” It was more of a statement. Given the wounds she had cleaned up, it was obvious to her what that bastard had done to Ignis.Even she had heard the rumors from a few Kingsglaives when she had stopped at Lestallum from time to time. Either Ignis had been known to be gay which was a source of amusement to the older Crowsguard that knew of his family name, or he was a traitor to the crown to the younger generation that didn’t know any better. The former was something that would pass in time, the latter however was going to be harder to deal with. “And… you had been gravely wounded.” 

Ignis’s impulse was to dismiss the allegations if not flat out lie. But here they were alone without the prying eyes of anyone else around them. Although the woman hadn’t been someone the retainer would have gone to for advice, she had saved his life. If the drop ship hadn’t come, he’d still be with Ardyn and he didn’t know what was liable to happen to him the more time he spent with the demon. Aranea had already seen him at his most vulnerable state, and yet she managed to keep her hands steady as she dressed his wounds on every part of him that had been defiled. His mouth went dry as he glanced at her. “It’s true… I’ve been in his company for a while. He actually fled before you found me in Tenebrae.” 

That had explained why the retainer seemed so delirious to where he was that day. “And the injury Prompto spoke of?” 

“I… had starscourge.” Ignis admitted after some time. “Although it seems I don’t have it any longer.” 

That had given Aranea pause. “How in the world have you been cured of that curse?” It was a well known fact that there was no way to stop the plague from spreading short of dealing with the daemons directly. 

“It was Ardyn… he healed me.” 

She had seen first hand that the Usurper could create the creatures of the night and seemed perplexed. “I thought only the Oracle had that type of power? How is that possible?” 

“As did I, but it seems there have been certain parts of history that have been embellished.” He wondered if it was a good idea to even mention Ardyn’s relationship being a Lucis Caelum. Ultimately, the retainer thought that detail didn’t make much of a difference and only muddy the waters when it came to trying to explain his relationship with the demon. Even if it was brought up, that hardly excused the behavior that Ardyn had committed. 

Aranea’s mind was reeling as she took in the information. “He kidnapped you, and yet he saved you. That is what you are telling me?” 

“...Yes.” 

“Unbelievable,” The ex-commodore whispered. “He always did strike me as a bit unpredictable.” Although she couldn’t help but wonder why spare Ignis in this? The more the ex-commodore watched Ignis, she was sure that he was telling her the unwavering truth. What Aranea feared was that Ignis had developed a case of Stockholm’s syndrome. Ardyn had always been eccentric, but when he had shown his true colors at Gralea she understood that he was a dangerous man to become entangled with. The way he could manipulate a person was without equal. To be held as long as Ignis was, no doubt being forced against his will... of course his perception of Ardyn might have changed. If that was the case then he could become a danger - not only to the people around him but himself. “Why did he let you go?” 

The question had Ignis’s eyes divert to sheets in front of him. “He called it merely… a reprieve.” 

“Meaning he’ll come back for you?” She questioned. 

He thought back to the promise that the demon had made and nodded. “He wants... to kill Noctis first.” 

“What does Prince Charming have to do with this?” 

Ignis couldn’t answer her. Because his body was trembling as he tried to keep his emotions in check. In the end, it would sever his ties with Noctis. It would get rid of Ardyn’s rival, it would stop the Astral’s will for a land free of the starscourge, and the demon had convinced himself that was needed in order to claim Ignis’s heart once and for all. 

The ex-commodore saw the way Ignis was shaking and sighed softly. “Nevermind… forget I said that. I assume you believe him then?” 

“I do.” The retainer whispered after some time. For as much as he wanted to fault Ardyn, the demon had always told him the truth even if Ignis wanted to deny the accusations. He had already gotten Ardyn to promise to leave Noct and himself alone and he’d honor it... Ignis was sure of it. “He only wants Noct right now, and only when he claims the power of the Crystal.” 

“Meaning, he wants to beat him at his best? He never struck me as the chivalrous type.” 

“I’m afraid that there is much about him that leaves a lot to be desired.” 

“Ignis,” Aranea started off. She had been hesitating to ask him this, but he seemed well enough that he could actually respond to her main concern now. “What exactly happened to you?”

The retainer’s gaze pulled away from her. “Where do I even begin?” He didn’t want to, but she did deserve a right to know how he had managed to survive. Ignis told her a very abridged version of the events that had taken place. From meeting Ardyn as Emus that fateful day in the Crystal’s chamber, until the day he had been set free by the demon. He had prefaced the reasons for the actions he had taken up until this point as simply protecting Noctis and the others for being harmed. As he explained it, it occurred to him just how badly his perception had been warped. He had given up, but it had been long before Ignis had fought Ardyn for bothering Talcott. It occurred to Ignis that though he did hate everything Ardyn was doing to him, he had stopped thinking of a way to gain the upper hand on the man. It was an impossible scenario either way, but it was so unlike him to be so accepting of his fate. 

The ex-commodore listened to the tale in detail, and even she couldn’t keep the sympathy from her eyes as she realized just how far Ignis had gone. “You know,” She said finally as the man finished his tale. “Regardless as to what you might be feeling… I’m glad you are still with us.” 

Ignis wasn’t sure how he felt about those words. If he had died, it would have been his own fault. The method in which he dispatched himself might have been in the air, but certainly he could have made better choices in hindsight. “Aranea?” 

“What is it?” 

“Why can you just say that?” 

“What exactly did you expect me to say?” The woman asked. 

He didn’t know in all honesty. “Even after everything that I told you,” He whispered softly. “You… you don’t think I was foolish?” Maybe he expected to be berated, looked down on, even made fun of over his choices.

It was a horrifying scenario to be certain. Ignis had shared details that she doubted many would ever hear about. Though they were acquainted with each other, they were hardly best friends, yet without even blinking, he had explained why Ardyn had been with him for so long without alerting anyone. “Not gonna lie to you four-eyes, it’s a lot to take in.” She spoke softly. “But... not sure what I would have done in your situation. I doubt anyone would.” That alone made her unable to judge him for his prolonged silence. 

That had Ignis’s eyes watering as she said that. 

She pulled the retainer close to him letting her hands wrap around his back as she held him. “You did what you thought was best. There is nothing wrong with that.” 

He thought that he was through with crying over this, but he couldn’t help himself. Was it the best solution? He didn’t know… of course in hindsight, there were some actions that he should have taken and Ardyn had been right. He didn’t have to go back to Galdin Quay when he had been released before. It had worked out in the end but it still  _ hurt _ . 

Aranea just held him for the longest time until the sobs gradually subsided. There would always be scars that the man would have, deep wounds that were probably out of her reach. At the very least she could allow him to express himself in a way that she doubted many saw. The aesthetic of a strong man unaffected by such emotional burdens seemed to be glossed over way too much in society. Unlike Gladio or Prompto though, she didn’t expect him to act a certain way. Because of that unfamiliarity, there was no preexisting expectation that Aranea had. It was why Ignis could tell her the truth. And it was so nice to see the retainer express  _ something  _ besides that blank face of indifference when she first found him. 

When Ignis finally pulled himself together, he leaned away from the woman. 

Aranea offered the man a tissue as she spoke. “I’ve already informed Gladio and Prompto that you are alright.” When Ignis said nothing she continued. “The big guy wanted me to drop you off at Hammerhead whenever we stopped by the area.” 

The natural reaction should have been “yes” of course, but even seeing Cid right now made him wonder if that would be best for him. He had been missing for such a long time and there would be questions. So many that he didn’t want to answer, but Cid had been so good to him that even attempting to lie to the old man was out of the question. “I... don’t know.” 

“Then I take it you want to rest for a bit longer.” The retainer had always been one to make concise decisions instead of wallowing in hypothetical situations. It was obvious to her that he still wasn’t in the right mindset to interact with anyone yet. “It’s fine, I’ll just need to deliver a message but you can stay here.” 

“I won’t be a bother to you?” Ignis asked. 

“Nah, not that I use my quarters in great length as you can tell.” The men under her employ were mostly on the ground slaying daemons or ferrying survivors back to the capital. The ship did offer protection, but the men still liked to camp outdoors rather than being stuck in the metal ship. For Ignis though, a stable vessel would do him good. At least this way he was safe and well out of reach of not only daemons but Ardyn. “Time moves on, but if you aren’t prepared don’t face the world yet. Do it when you are ready.” 

“That is hardly the words I would expect from someone under the employ of the military.” 

“No… it isn’t. This is me saying this as a new mom.” Sol was a handful, never would she have believed herself the patience or drive to raise a child of her own much less from the Empire that betrayed her and her people in the end. But… spending time with her, Aranea’s opinion changed and she couldn’t imagine turning down the opportunity to make the life of the newer generation tolerable even in the shitstorm they found themselves in. “A mother has protective instincts you boys are often ignorant of. You may want to move forward for Prince Charming, and maybe yourself... but you are still wounded.” 

“I’m fairly certain you gave me a thorough treatment.” 

“You can’t look me in the eyes and say that with confidence.” 

She was right of course although he wished he wasn’t so weak.

“When you are ready to go back… let me know. Until then I’ll be ferrying survivors to the capital. Afraid it is safer for you to stay here than try to put you up at a hotel somewhere.” Even in Lestallum, she still didn’t know how people would react to Ignis, but she didn’t want to burden him with yet another problem now. 

“My thanks.” 

“Thank me by getting what you lost back.” The ex-commodore mused. “Afraid my girl keeps asking about you so you might have to indulge her for company while you remain here. That’s the only stipulation I have.” 

“It’s fine,” Ignis started off remembering fondly his memories with Talcott. She seemed the same age of the boy and was curious to know where she had come from. She didn’t look like Aranea, but there was a way that she moved that hinted she wasn’t just an ordinary girl either. Jewelry seemed to be a commodity of the rich. It was often better to barter it off for goods and services but the one the girl was wearing could have sworn that it had the Imperial emblem on it. No child would have been wearing that without reason. “I’m good with children.” 

“Huh… never would have thought. Then again, your Prince did seem like a big kid himself.” 

A faint smile graced Ignis’s face as he thought about his childhood spent with Noctis. It was true, if one stripped away the fact that he was the crown prince and just walked around the streets... he was just an ordinary kid. He lacked the grace and finesse of his father, the temperament of a rebel teen at times, and was no more wiser than the newest level of a King’s Knight that he could beat. Noctis was an unlikely King by any stretch of the imagination, but that was why Ignis had always believed that he would be destined to do great things. Those that struggled to do what they needed in order to fulfill their tasks. Noctis always had his heart in the right place even if it was hard to see it. Knowing that, it made the situation so much more unfair in hindsight. “I suppose... he is.” 


	3. Prompto: Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rumors were a bit harsh. Gladio was sure had it been another less prominent family there wouldn’t have been such scrutiny made. But by now, both he and Prompto knew what was being said had some weight to it. That alone made dealing with this matter harder. Ignis had certainly made some choices that neither of them understood, but he was no traitor.

A/N: Apologies for the delay with updates, IRL got a bit hectic. I had to extend this story by four chapters since something unexpected occurred when I was writing future scenes. It might not seem like it, but I’m  _ really _ trying to keep GB as short as it needs to be. Trouble is keeping my muses happy which is always a challenge. 

I am looking for beta readers/critics for this story and  _ Ties that Bind  _ and potentially future stories. Please read over this topic for more information and please reach out to me if this would be something of great interest to you:  [ https://shadowlink06.tumblr.com/post/639381064763228160/looking-for-beta-readerscritics ](https://shadowlink06.tumblr.com/post/639381064763228160/looking-for-beta-readerscritics)

Thanks so much for your time and support as always! 

* * *

When Prompto was brought back to Lestallum after being injured, he had made it a point to tell the doctors to treat the severely injured people before himself. Although his ribs had been broken, he wasn’t in danger of dying as some of the other unfortunate ones that had been caught up in the horde attack at Galdin Quay were. That selflessness was one of the reasons why recovering had taken an unusually long time. The gunner had long recognized that supplies were limited and always a concern. By the time that the medical unit had gotten around to treating Prompto, most of his wounds had already been mended naturally and the cure magic just helped the last stretch of recovery. 

One silver lining about getting hurt had been Cindy had come from Hammerhead to see him. Although he tried to assure her that he’d be fine, the concern she had was enough to have her spend two weeks with him nursing him back to health. Never in all of his time spent with the woman would he have ever pictured Cindy leaving the car shop to her own accord. She was a workaholic and followed after Cid. Her suddenly being here and looking after him was like being in a fairytale. And while she cooked for him, helped him clean up, one of the best things was that they got to be able to talk. Not just about work, but having genuine conversations about themselves, life, goals, and even their parents. Never did he think to ask why she never spoke of them, but now as he learned that daemons had taken them away from her as a child, he did understand why she worked so hard and did so much. When Prompto could move around on his own he knew that she’d likely be going back yet he didn't seem disappointed by it.  “Hey Cindy?” 

“Hm?” 

“I... didn’t mean to make you worry.” 

“Not yer fault you keep gettin’ into sticky situations. Swear trouble always seems to follow ya like a black cat.” 

That made him smile. “You still would be around me with how unlucky I am?” 

Cindy sighed softly shaking her head. “Well means ya are a handful but…” She let her words trail off leaning over to place a kiss over his lips. “Guess that just means that you gotta take care of yerself better hm?” 

Prompto blushed softly, though a hand went out cupping the side of Cindy’s face. “Thanks for sticking by me.” 

“Ain’t no trouble Prommy, just try not to make a girl worry hm?” 

“Yes ma’am. When things calm down here, I’ll be sure to visit you soon.” 

“Ain’t got no doubt about that. Be waitin’ fer ya until then.” 

When she left, it finally hit the gunner that she seemed receptive to the idea of them being together. Moreso… she was looking forward to seeing him. 

* * *

Cooped up in the hospital, he had been ignorant of what had been going on. Gladio was helping with cleaning up Galdin Quay and decided to let him rest. When the two met in Prompto’s apartment however, he learned about the curious events that had transpired when he had been knocked out. “Titan came to you?” 

“Yeah,” The Shield confirmed. “I can’t explain it but… seems that Noct sent him to me.” 

“Really? Did… he come back?” 

“No, I don’t think so. No one has seen him. Shiva appears to be guarding Angelgard now though. Leviathan put out the fires from Ifrit when he went on a rampage from what the base commander told me. Seems like the Astrals had made an appearance in Galdin Quay rather suddenly and then disappeared.” 

“That is really strange. Guess I shouldn’t complain though. I’m glad that the gods are helping us out.” 

“Yeah… me too.” Gladio murmured although he glanced in th “I really haven’t summoned him, he comes to his own accord. When I’m outside Lestallum, he’s definitely helping get rid of the daemons outside of the borders. I can’t even draw my weapon before he appears.” 

“I see… guess we can prevent another horde attack if we keep culling them.” 

“That is the idea anyway.” The Shield mused. “Cor wants me to see  about culling a few places as they move people in.” 

Maybe he was imagining it, but Gladio didn’t exactly seem happy at the thought of being elsewhere. “It’s not a bad plan.” The gunner said. “You think he’s being unreasonable?” 

“No, of course not, it’s just that-” Whatever the Shield wanted to say, he stopped short of it and shook his head. “Nevermind… it doesn’t matter. Listen, I know you want to head back to Hammerhead, but would you mind sticking around here for a bit? Just until things get settled?” 

As usual, Gladio could read him like a book. Still, the request wasn’t unreasonable. The sudden influx of people was a challenge to handle. “Sure… it's the least I can do to help out. The doctors here did save my ass.” 

* * *

Cor summoned Prompto when Gladio was elsewhere one day. Normally the Immortal never bothered with him short of exchanging small talk. It was why he found himself slightly nervous in the man’s presence as he seemed to be thumbing through paperwork from behind his desk. 

“How have you been doing Argentum?” He asked the boy as his eyes finally rolled up. 

“Um, well enough sir.” 

“That’s good, heard you were in pretty bad shape.” 

“Ah, it was nothing. I’ve already made a full recovery.” The gunner said, trying to minimize the damage done. In truth, he always thought that it was nothing compared to letting the people there get hurt so he accepted it. 

“I see…” There was a pause as Cor regarded him. “I’ll get to the point in me summoning you here then. I actually need you to check out Galdin Quay for me with a few other Kingsglaives. I’m a bit stretched out for personnel and figured that you knew the area enough to feel comfortable going back.” 

It was actually surprising that the commander would ask him that. Not that he expected to find anything there. The place had been told to be abandoned, even the Kingsglaive units stationed there were moved. “What exactly are we looking for?” 

“Any signs of life.” Although even as Cor said that, he remembered a few reports. “Also… I need you to see if the Glacian is still protecting Angelgard.” 

“If she isn’t?” 

“I hate leaving Prince- or rather King Noctis unprotected. It would be nice to see if we can bring him back here to watch over. But if Shiva is still around, don’t engage her.” 

“Of course sir.” 

“The detail that I've assigned to this mission will be leaving at the end of the week. You’ll need to pack some warm clothing while you go down there.” 

“Huh? Really sir?” 

“Yes… afraid Shiva’s presence might have had some side effects on the land. I don’t need you freezing to death out there.” 

As it turned out, Cor had been correct. When Prompto and the rest of the crew pulled into Galdin Quay, the change was more than noticeable. The once warm weather had been overshadowed by flurries of snow and ice. All of the native animals had fled leaving the place a barren wasteland. If Prompto didn’t know they were at Galdin Quay, it looked like a different place entirely. One thing that was hard to miss was the destruction caused by the horde. The people that could pick their belongings had done so before fleeing. The rest of the things that couldn’t be salvaged were left to the elements. The detail split up in small groups with Prompto leading a few men. As the gunner moved through the city he could make out the remnants of the main hotel that still had a noticeable split down the edge from the Iron Giant. He lamented how lucky the survivors of the destruction had been and then grew saddened that this was the last place he had seen Ignis during his happier moments before he left to escort Talcott home that night. 

“Wonder if there is anything of yours still here…” The gunner mused. It was just a hotel room, but it would have been nice to recover something here as proof that Ignis existed. There were a few keepsakes still at Hammerhead, but this wasn’t the same. As Prompto saw it, this is where Ignis had died. As he was contemplating on trying to dig around in the remains, he noticed a figure that was sticking out and walking towards him. One of the men aimed a gun at the direction of the figure. “Is it a daemon?” 

“Wait, don’t shoot. It could be a survivor.” At first Prompto thought it was just that, but as the blackened figure got closer it was obvious that it was an animal and not a person. The tail of the creature wagged as it stopped in front of the gunner. “Hey there little guy, what are you doing out here?” He bent down and as his body light focused on it, he realized just who he was staring at. “...Umbra?” 

The dog still possessed the harness used to carry the notebook shared between Noctis and Luna but something seemed different. “Hey boy, what are you doing out here?” He tried to reach out to pet the messenger, but the dog moved just out of the way to avoid it. Instead he whined, gently pulling on Prompto’s coat. Confused, the gunner got to his feet seeing the direction the dog seemed to be wanting him to go. It was towards Angelgard. “You want me to go see Noct?” 

Umbra barked before walking towards the shore waiting for Prompto to join him. As the gunner reached the beach, a gust of wind blew harshly against his body. He brought an arm up to shield himself from the flurry of snow seeing Shiva watching him from afar. “So much for trying to go to the island.” He wondered why Umbra wanted him to come here, and as he tried to find the dog, a howl erupted from the messenger. The gunner turned his attention back Umbra and felt the ground below him start to shake. He lost his balance collapsing in the snow as the tremors started to get worse. He turned to the men that had been following him. “Take cover! Now!” He shouted at them and for once, he was glad that they were scared enough to do what he said without fail. 

Lightning crackled in the sky above the gunner as a storm came from nowhere. “This is not what I need.” The gunner muttered not sure what was happening until another large thud sounded enough to have his body bounce off the ground. As he turned around to see what had caused it, a familiar presence looked down at him. 

The gunner found himself staring into the eyes of the Fulgurian. From the charged air around him, his hair stood on end. Prompto remembered the power of the Astral when it helped Noct and it terrified him that he was in the presence of the god. With the shaking stopped he got to his feet, although his knees continued to shake violently. “Um… Mr. Ramuh? S-sir, I... didn’t mean to disturb you.” Even as he tried to apologize he found himself taking several steps away from the imposing figure. 

Ramuh regarded the boy. So this would be his charge. Before, he had only ever given a passing glance at the companions that accompanied the Prince at the time. They were all curious creatures. And this one… his gaze swept over the boy who seemed to be so frightened yet tried to be polite in his presence. He leaned down to pick up Prompto in one sweeping motion. The body within his grip trembled, yet he tried to speak to the gunner. “ _ Oh companion of the King of Light _ .” The blank stare from the boy let him know it was a lost cause trying to speak Hexathon to him. Yet he had to convey that he would not hurt him. Pressing his forehead close to Prompto he showed him a vision of the King that Shiva shared with them all.  The moment that the god touched the boy, Prompto saw Noctis as he seemed to be trapped somewhere yet he spoke to the person in front of him. 

> "You say that I'm supposed to protect Eos from the blight on this world, and you would lend me your strength to do so. I don't ask you to fight for me while I remain here but only protect what we have left. Abandon your strength to them when I am back on Eos, but please… give them a fighting chance to counter the threat. As the last Lucian King…" He said softly. "Please give me that mercy."

After seeing the vision Prompto gasped looking up at Ramuh. “Noct sent you to me?” The gunner asked. 

Pleased that the boy understood, Ramuh lowered him to the ground before tapping his staff. To protect this boy, to aid him in his duties, he’d watch over him as a favor to the King of Light. In a flash of light, he disappeared before the boy although Prompto could feel energy seeping into his body as he watched the Astral disappear. When the light faded, his gaze moved to Angelgard. Ice and snow had completely overtaken the rock, but he knew that Noct was still there and Shiva was protecting him. “So, you were looking out for us after all.” He couldn’t help but smile, “I knew you would do what you could for all of us.” That was just the type of guy Noct was, he never let anyone down. 

* * *

He came back to Lestallum and told Gladio what had happened. The vision that he mentioned seemed to be the same one the Shield had seen. It had taken a few run-ins with daemons for both of them to realize that the Astrals were helping control the daemons and in turn, protecting them. 

Cor was amazed by the realization and made it a point to send Gladio or Prompto to the heavily impacted regions in Eos as they helped evacuate citizens. It was a blessing that everyone agreed was needed. Although Prompto was happy to help, he still wished that the power had come a bit sooner so he might have saved Ignis. There were days when he found himself crippled by depression and found even getting out of bed a chore but he hid it well enough determined to help the people here as much as he could. 

Gladio seemed to share the same feeling too although the gunner thought that his depression seemed worse. Despite him trying to cheer the Shield up, Prompto saw that Gladio got worse. He attributed it to them knowing each other far longer and could only offer his presence to try to comfort the other man. They had been spending their days together for that reason not sure how to come to terms with the fact that Ignis was gone. After a daemon purge, the pair found themselves going to a bar. By now, many in the city knew that both of them commanded an Astral and were celebrities of sorts. 

It was hard to get around their new status, but both men only used the power of the Astrals to keep everyone else safe. In fact, short of daemon purges, the Astrals seemed to be fine not interfering with the men’s lives, nor did they seek out an audience with the gods. The relationship should have been simple, but there was always a stigma that Prompto or Gladio couldn’t shake. They were friends with Ignis, and never spoke ill of him. 

The same could not be said of several members in the Kingsglaive that had been stationed at Galdin Quay. The affair between Emus and Ignis was one that was initially a source of amusement until they realized that it was Ardyn all that time. Ardyn who had killed many in the name of Niflheim. Ardyn who had destroyed their homes by the grotesque lie he had told Regis when he had promised a ceasefire, and Ardyn who had been responsible for killing their family, friends, and loved ones. Even if Ignis didn’t know it was the Usurper masquerading as a soldier, that hardly mattered. The contempt was hard to push aside, even for someone like Ignis. 

That tension between the Kingsglaive, Prompto and Gladio came to a head one night when the two were having drinks in a bar. Prompto wasn’t sure what had caused it, or how it even got brought up. But when one of those Kingsglaive said: “Scientia was a traitor” to his face, the gunner had lost it. There was a rage that ran through him that had his body shaking violently at the audacity. The gunner moved closer to the man without realizing when his feet propelled him forward. Prompto reacted without thinking, a hand balling into a tight fist before it landed against the bastard’s jaw. The man hadn’t even hit the floor before the gunner was on top of him smashing his fist in the bastard’s face until he felt someone grabbing him from behind. “You fucking  _ bastard _ !” Prompto screamed even as Gladio had restrained him by bear-hugging Prompto against his chest. The Kingsglave that had been hit had his buddies come to his side to drag him away from the gunner who was still trying to squirm away from Gladio’s grasp. 

As long as the Shield had known Prompto, never had he shown such animosity towards anyone. Even Ardyn who had tortured him hadn’t gotten more than a muttered curse under his breath but this… this was something entirely different. Just seeing the expressions on everyone's face that were looking on at the scene, they seemed to think that Prompto was about to kill the man. 

“Fucking watch it dude… Argentum has an Astral. He can kill you.” One of them said already fearing he would summon the god to aid him. 

Although many in the Kingsglaive were thankful for the powers of the Astral, Gladio had always noticed that several members' attitudes towards him and Prompto were a mix of awe, fear, jealousy, and contempt. Why those two out of all the others? Of course, they were close to Noctis, but so could any of them and why not share such fearsome power? All questions that Gladio and Prompto couldn’t answer for even if he wanted to ask Titan to lend their power to their fellow Kingsglaives and Crownsguard, they still didn’t understand what the Astrals said. In the end, Gladio decided to deescalate the tension by taking Prompto elsewhere. 

Gladio murmured an apology before he dragged Prompto away still cursing at the top of his lungs. By the time they got outside, the gunner had quieted now that he wasn’t able to see the Kingsglaive that had thrown him in a fit of rage. Comical as it was, he didn’t try to let go of Prompto and resorted to just hauling him a few blocks away not sure if the gunner would go back to try to finish what he had started. 

When Prompto was finally let go, he didn’t bother trying to turn around. “You shouldn’t have stopped me.” He muttered. “He deserved that.” 

“You can’t go throwing punches when someone says something you don’t like.” 

“You heard what he called Iggy. That bastard… he doesn’t even know him. He had  _ no _ right to say that!”

The rumors were a bit harsh. Gladio was sure had it been another less prominent family there wouldn’t have been such scrutiny made. But by now, both he and Prompto knew what was being said had some weight to it. That alone made dealing with this matter harder. Ignis had certainly made some choices that neither of them understood, but he was no traitor. “The more you react to it, they are just going to keep bothering you.” 

That had Prompto turn around then to face Gladio. “So what? Do you think I should just sit there and take it? Let them tear down his character when he can’t defend himself?” Why they continued to speak ill of the dead was weighing heavily on him too. How he wanted to shove Ignis in front of him and dare those cowards to say that to his face. “He’s our friend Gladio! We speak for him when he cannot!” 

“Prompto listen.... I know you are still upset about Galdin Quay but-” 

“-There is no “but” Gladio!” The gunner interrupted him. “Even if I have to make it a point to keep harping on those bastards. I’m not gonna let them keep spreading those awful lies! You should be upset too. He has  _ always _ held Noct and his job in the highest regard. How could anyone think he would turn on the royal family? Much less… for that bastard Ardyn.” 

Gladio thought about the recording again and glanced away. “People… will do and say anything if it brings them comfort.” And he? He couldn’t talk. It had haunted him when he had seen Ignis for the last time. There was so much he should have done, should have been aware of. He could see his words were upsetting the gunner. No matter how much he wanted to comfort Prompto, he knew that it would never be enough… not until he told him the truth about Ignis. And whenever he tried to make himself start that conversation, it immediately was swallowed in the back of his throat. 

The gunner wasn’t sure what he was expecting as he watched his friend, but what he was saying was just so… inadequate. “I won’t let his honor be dragged around in the mud by anyone Gladio.” He walked back to his apartment not even waiting for a response from the Shield. 

* * *

Gladio had hidden the recording in his room, cramming it in a corner of his drawer like a child hiding an expensive vase he had broken to keep his parents from finding out. That was why he had declined. Where normally the Shield’s orders could spur his men to action, they lacked passion. Where his mind had always been focused on the tasks in front of him, he floundered. And that is why Cor had likely intervened and he had decided that he could no longer continue to act like everything was alright. That was… until the Immortal had given him terms and stopped his early resignation from the Crownsguard by giving him both an olive branch and ultimatum when he was permitted to pursue his goals. 

He met with Prompto after the pair had done their rounds on the outskirts of town. Before they entered back into the city, Gladio spoke to him. “Prompto… I’m going to be leaving for about three months.” 

The shock was obvious on the other man’s face as he let the words sink in. First, there had been confusion, but then annoyance as Prompto realized what that meant. “You mean you are gonna leave and let me take care of the city on my own?” That was exactly what it would mean and when Gladio looked away from him, he grit his teeth. “You know I don’t even want to be here,” Prompto muttered. “I’d rather be back in Hammerhead.” This city was trying to be modeled after Insomnia yet it wasn’t. This was the safest place on Eos that illuminated the night sky, yet Prompto felt it still had a shadow cast over it. If not for Cor asking him to help out, he would have been gone ages ago. And to leave now would have been petty since he knew he could do the most good here with Ramuh. “You’ve always wanted to be here to help out. What could you possibly want to do that will keep you away so long?” 

Gladio knew that what he was telling Prompto would have upset him. But the last thing that he wanted to do was leave Lestallum vulnerable while he left. He could ask no one else but the gunner since he was the only one that had the power to clear the daemons in quick succession. “I’m… going to see if I can find Ignis.” 

“...What?” How many times were they going to have this conversation? Prompto moved closer to Gladio grabbing him by his shirt. Had it been any other time, the display would have been comical, but now there was a determination in both of them as they struggled to find the right words for each other. “I already told you… Ardyn took him.”

“You did,” Gladio said. “But I’m not convinced that he is dead.” 

That alone made Prompto’s eyes narrow. It was never like the Shield to be in such _denial_. Even for Prompto, the odds of finding Ignis were slim to none. And even if he did… it would have been too late. He would be a daemon and at that point, the only thing that either of them could do is put Ignis out of his misery. And that was the best-case scenario if Gladio managed to find something of worth. “There is nothing more you can do for him.” 

But the Shield had long made up his mind. He brought his hands up to curl around the gunner’s wrists trying to pry him away. He could feel Prompto’s grip tightening forcing their eyes to meet. 

“All you are doing is hurting yourself further. You are searching for someone that no longer exists.” 

“I won’t abandon him Prompto. I have to try.” 

“You do this over a mere _feeling_!” The gunner snarled. “You think I like admitting he’s gone?” Prompto asked incredulously. “I blame myself because I was  _ right  _ there.” And he never noticed, never thought to ask, never even was curious throughout this whole affair. He was so convinced that he could cheer Ignis up when he had been doing just the opposite. “You’re so bloody stubborn… I just want to… keep doing my best.” That had always been his stance even if he wasn’t from an established family like Gladio or Ignis. That inferiority complex had always been within him, but he hid it behind the laughter, the joking, the horseplay. 

The only thing that he could do now was keep pressing forward and learn from his mistakes. It was heartbreaking that Ignis had to die for him to learn his lesson and it would always haunt Prompto. However, there was nothing more that he could do physically that would have brought Ignis back or rectify his mistakes. “I don’t want anyone else to die, I don’t want to lose anyone else Gladio!” It wasn’t just that Ignis was dead, it was that Ardyn was the last person that Ignis would no doubt see before he was either turned into a daemon or just flat out killed. Neither scenario was a happy ending that the retainer had deserved. And he and Gladio would have to explain why Ignis was no longer around to Noctis… just the thought of it was making tears form in the corner of his eyes. When his vision started to blur, he tore himself away from Gladio, rubbing at his tears with his elbow choking back a sob. “Why...is it so hard for you to understand that?” 

Gladio did understand though the real reason he felt that Ignis was alive was still information kept only to himself. He knew he was being unfair to the gunner and his feelings but it was something that only action would solve and only something that he felt he could do. “I have to go.” Gladio said after some time. For far too long he had done nothing. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find, and Cor did have a valid point. But if he just stood still, if he accepted things as they were, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself. “ I’m asking you to give me some time to do this.” 

But why? Gladio more than he should have known what he was about to do was nothing short of suicide. The gunner wanted to protest the foolish action that the Shield was about to take, but there was just something in Gladio’s expression that gave him pause. He wasn’t going to back down… The realization made Prompto tear his gaze away. “Do what you want.” He really didn’t feel like arguing over this anymore. The gunner made his way back to the city leaving Gladio there. Normally they would have wished each other a good night, but Prompto wouldn’t have meant a word of it. 

* * *

Gladio had left Lestallum the next day. Being the only one with an Astral, Cor asked if he could shift his job to just patrolling around the outskirts of Lestallum to break up the daemons that were drawn to the area. Prompto always saw scores of the creatures trying to gather and their great numbers was always a constant concern. Usually, it was Ramuh that appeared and helped cull their numbers. It was a tiresome job always seeking them out, but Prompto could tell that the effect was happier people within the city now that their lives were no longer in danger like before. 

After a night on the job, Prompto had collapsed on his bed ready for sleep. As he drifted off, he was interrupted by a phone ringing. At first his hand flailed out to the apartment phone, wondering if it was a call from Cor alerting him of a horde sighting but as he pressed the receiver up to his ear, he realized that the phone was still ringing. He glanced on the other side of the room seeing it was the COM phone. He hadn’t really used it since he was stuck in Lestallum. It was easier to use the local communications rather than the expensive towers. Although as he got off the bed, he wondered who was calling him? Gladio perhaps although the Shield had not bothered to check in with him since he had left. Perhaps something had happened. As he picked up the phone he spoke into it. “Hey, big guy.” 

[“Hmm, well that is a new way to greet me.”] Aranea mused. [“Heya, Blondie.”]

“A-aranea?” The gunner spoke clearly surprised. “Um… how’s it going?” 

[“Well enough. I didn’t disturb you did I?”] 

“Nah, not really. Just got in from making my rounds around the city. I didn’t hear your drop so just was surprised you called. Are you in the area?” 

[“Not quite, we are still a bit way out, but I needed to speak with you. Afraid that it wasn’t appropriate to wait until I got back to the capital so decided to let you know the news.”]

That had given Prompto pause. Normally they usually caught up together when she stopped by instead of using the COM phone. “What’s up? Is something wrong with Gladio?” 

[“No, not with him... It’s about Ignis.”]

Even hearing the retainer’s name felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. “You... found something?” 

[“He’s alive kid.”]

The gunner froze at the news. “What did you say?” Prompto whispered after some time. “He’s… alive?” 

[“Yeah...he is.”]

Prompto’s legs buckled under him collapsing on the floor. His mind still was having a hard time processing the information. Even as he did, his thoughts went to the last time that he had seen Ignis. Ardyn had hauled him up in his arms as he was taken away. “But… he was infected when I saw him last.” 

[“He’s not infected.”] Aranea assured him. [“I examined him thoroughly to make sure. I remembered what you told me when we saw each other before.”] What Ignis had told her had confirmed that he had been healed. 

“I don’t believe it.” Prompto said after some time. “I mean… Gladio always told me he thought that he was alive but I just assumed…” 

[“Not the time to be doubting yourself. Listen... I’ll be in Lestallum in a few days, but I figured you would want to know the news. We can speak more about it then.”]

“Right… thanks for letting me know. I'll see you soon.” 

* * *

It was one of the few times that Prompto was eager to hear the familiar sound of Aranea’s drop ship come to the capital. She had always docked it in the same location and as usual not only her and the people she commanded were let off the ship but twenty people that she had rescued were led into the city for aid. The gunner peered around for any signs of Ignis, although when he didn’t see him he approached the ex-commodore. “Where is he?” 

“Resting on the ship.” 

Prompto was about to go inside before he felt Aranea’s hand grab at him. “Don’t.” 

“But… I want to see him.” The gunner protested. 

“Look, I know you do but he’s fast asleep and he needs to remain that way. I need to chat with you anyway.” 

Prompto frowned as she all but pulled him away from the drop ship and headed to one of the local bars. It was one of the older ones that had been here even before construction had been ramped up and many already recognized Aranea as a regular. She only said her greetings to the bartender before she headed to the rooftop. Thankfully there was no one around, and she took a seat admiring the city. “This place always seems to be growing every time I come here.” 

The gunner pulled up a seat next to her shrugging softly. “Can’t be helped. They are trying to keep up with the people that are coming here, but it’s always an arms race.”

“Mmm I imagine so. Guess it helps they are concerned more with the economic and domestic side rather than the daemons.” 

“Yeah… the Astrals have been a big help for sure.” He turned to the woman then. “So… how is Iggy doing?” 

“He has a few bruises but short of that and some weight loss he’s just the same as you remember him.” There was a pause as she turned her attention to the gunner. “Listen... I know you want to see him, but I don’t think that is a good idea right now.” Considering that he didn’t even want to see Cid, he doubted seeing Prompto would make the situation even better. “He’s still... recovering.”

Hearing that gave Prompto pause. He thought back to the rumors with Ignis and Ardyn and grit his teeth. No matter how hard he wanted to block the thought of it out of his head he knew that Ardyn had done more than simply blackmail Ignis. “Does… Gladio know he’s alive?”

“Yeah,” She said, “He wanted me to call him if I saw or heard anything. Cid is also aware of the situation. Just got back from his place.” 

It was so strange why Gladio seemed to have insisted that he continued to look for Ignis even with everything that had happened. The argument that the two had before the other man left made Prompto wonder if he had seen it in a vision somehow or just was determined to find even a piece of Ignis in Eos. Prompto thought he was being the reasonable one by letting Ignis rest in peace but perhaps there was something that he had missed. “Did… you mention anything else to him?” 

“About the rumors going around you mean?” The ex-commodore murmured. “No, I haven’t.” 

“It’s not as bad as it was at first but... “ The gunner frowned. “He doesn’t need that word following him around. I don’t know what that would do to him.” 

Considering why Ignis had chosen to sleep with Ardyn, Aranea knew that such words would be hurtful. It was obvious that he hadn’t thought much of himself even as Ardyn took him, but if his comrades projected the same toxic mindset, it could damage the retainer further. That is what she was concerned with after hearing his story. “I don’t want to bring him here if I’m honest with you for that very reason.” She admitted. Granted, knowing the truth made the thought of Ignis being a traitor ludicrous, but that wasn’t her story to tell. The retainer told her the truth in confidence and she wouldn’t breach that trust even if it meant condemning him amongst his peers. 

“Guess that is part of the reason why he’s still on the ship huh?” 

“You could say that.” The woman mused, although Ignis still was still plagued by nightmares. She wasn’t surprised that he was still passed out when they had landed here. She wanted to keep the trip brief as possible before he woke up and started to ask questions. “There is something else you should know too, Blondie.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Ignis... he isn’t blind anymore.” 

“...What?” 

“His eyes are different, but don’t be fooled by them. He’s still the same gentle soul he always was.” 

Prompto couldn’t believe it. Despite the good news, his eyes wavered. “How many miracles are you going to throw at me today?” 

The statement made the woman laugh softly. “Well it’s either tell you now, or you could find out for yourself and have a heart attack later. Figured I was doing you a favor.” 

“N-no… you are but it’s just…” Even Ignis himself assessed that he likely would always remain blind, but all of this was truly coming out of nowhere. “It’s... just that with all of these good things suddenly happening, I wonder if I should be worried.” 

“Probably.” The ex-commodore said after some time. “Dunno, but when miracles start to happen usually means it is trying to prepare you for the worst yet to come.” But even as she said that she could only shrug her shoulders. “Probably why you should just cherish these moments before they are gone you know?” 

“Guess you got me there.” Still, Prompto couldn’t help but wonder why the Astrals were being so good to them lately. He never was the religious type, but it seemed strange for him to not say a prayer before he ate or went about the rounds to purge daemons from an area. “I can’t wait to see Iggy again. So much I want to tell him… to apologize for.” 

“Nice to see you growing up kid.” Aranea mused. “Hard to believe that statement came from you. Guess it shows you’ve really been through hell huh?” 

“Heh, there are still people worse off than me. I just try to make their lives a bit easier.” 

“And I’m sure they appreciate it. When the time comes and you see Ignis, be the friend you always were but be better at understanding his feelings. You have a second chance to make it up to him. That is what you wanted right?” 

He had, but it was so surreal now that he could do that. “I plan on it. Although I have to ask you...Did Ardyn ever come up?” 

Hearing the name had her very expression melt away. That guy was still around somewhere and she hated that she could do nothing about the crimes he had committed not only against Ignis but on Eos. “No one has seen him since he attacked Galdin Quay right? Seems he abandoned Four-eyes when I found him.” If what the retainer said was true then likely he wouldn’t have shown himself like before. “Best if you don’t go looking for trouble. The capital has enough to deal with without him being added into the mix.” 

Why did Ardyn give up Ignis though? And unharmed nonetheless? It presented a lot of questions but he wanted to find out more from Ignis as to what really had happened. “Guess you are right… still wasn’t able to make a scratch in that bastard.” 

“No one was… seems like Noctis is the only one that can put Ardyn in his place.” It was a terrifying realization. The only silver lining is that for whatever reason the Usurper was holding himself back. 

“I hate to put that much on him.” The gunner said. “Noct’s had so many ups and downs… and then he is the only one that can face off against that monster.” 

“Have faith in Prince Charming,” Aranea said. “You know he’d never want any of you guys to suffer.” 

“Yeah,” The gunner murmured. “Especially Ignis after all this.” 

“He’ll be fine but… you gotta give him some space right now. In this case, it is best to let him come to you rather than the other way around.” 

It sounded reasonable, but Prompto couldn’t help but look in the direction where the drop ship had landed. “Is he… mad?” 

“No, he has never given off that vibe.” 

Of course Ignis wouldn’t. Because he had always been so selfless when it came to making sure everyone else was taking care of before himself. Even if that was the case, Prompto sighed. “I...I let him down Aranea.”

“Don’t tell me you hit the repeat button.” The ex-commodore mused as she regarded him. “You are making the same sorry excuses as you did when you thought you couldn’t go back to Prince Charming after your little fight.” 

That had given Prompto pause. 

“Remember what I told you back then?” 

The gunner’s brows furrowed as he recalled her words. “Figure out… figure out what I really want?” 

“That’s right. You say you messed up? Well, what are you gonna do about that?” 

He needed to make it right. 

Aranea’s gaze pulled at the sky. “Listen Prompto, it’s not just you that is hurting about this whole affair.” It was so apparent that all three men were all blaming themselves for different circumstances. While she didn’t understand the finer details, it was obvious that the actions that they had taken all had been with good intentions. “I won’t tell you what to do with yourself because it’s not my place. The only thing I can really say is to not get caught up in the past. Your buddies have always been the forgiving type so… stop being so hard on yourself.”

“Aranea I…” He sighed softly. “Could... you watch after him for a bit longer?” 

“No need to ask, I’m more than happy to.” She wasn’t sure how long Ignis would want to take to recover but at least this way she could make sure that he wouldn’t harm himself. “I do have a question for you though.” 

“What is it?” 

“It’s about the Astrals.” Clearly, they were impacting Lestallum in a good way and had always been a topic of conversation when she ferried survivors here. “Where exactly did you and Gladio receive their blessing?” 

“Oh… well it was at Galdin Quay. We were both looking at Angelgard when both of them appeared.” 

“So… in front of the King more or less.”

“Yeah, guess that is the best way to put it.” It was strange for her to ask about the Astrals now though. Niflheim was well known to be agnostic when it came to anything concerning the Six and what they represented. “What made you ask that?” 

“I was just wondering if Noctis wanted Ignis to have a similar experience that you two had is all.” In hindsight at least she would know that the retainer had an extra layer of protection if that had been the case. Rather hard to consider fighting someone knowing that a literal god was watching over him. 

Prompto considered what she was saying and a thought did occur to him. “Gladio said that the base commander saw Leviathan putting out the fires caused by Ifrit. No one has seen her after that happened.” 

That wasn’t a good thing. Aranea knew full well that the Tidermother could be temperamental. “It’s a long shot, but I am curious if she is waiting to see Ignis.” Given that he had been imprisoned and hidden away on the drop ship of course the Astral wouldn’t have known where to look for him. The more that she thought about it, it did make sense for Leviathan to be linked to the retainer. He was the last of the retinue that hadn’t received anything significant from what she could tell and he needed protection the most. 

“Aranea, there is something you should know though. Galdin Quay has turned into an arctic snow storm with Shiva’s constant presence there. She still won’t permit anyone from even setting foot on Angelgard.” 

“That isn’t a bad thing kid. Means she is keeping man and daemon away from your King.” 

“I guess that is true… but I’m just worried.” 

“Don’t worry, I just want to confirm something is all. Bahamut is nowhere to be found, Ifrit is commanded by that bastard Ardyn, Shiva is protecting the King, you and the big guy have Titan and Ramuh.” 

“Meaning… Leviathan is the only one unaccounted for.” There was a chance that she was still there, but then, it was impossible to say if the Tidemother would remain in the same place after such a long time. “There have been so many strange things happening… it would be a crime to not try to see if your hunch is right.” 

Aranea agreed with him on that notion. “Guess I know where I need to head next then.” 

“You’ll let me know if something happens?” 

“Of course. Let me take care of Ignis, take care of yourself in the meantime.” She stood up giving a pat on his shoulder. “Things will work out, think you need to spend a bit more time with your girl.” 

The gunner blushed. It seemed many people were starting to notice the way Cindy and he were an item now. “Oh come on, don’t you tease me about her too.” 

“Humph, so you can still smile after all.” The ex-commodore mused. “Try doing that a bit more. I’m telling you this so you can go back to being the goofball your buddies can rely on.” Aranea replied dryly. “It’s weird seeing you so down lately.” 

“That obvious huh?” 

“Painfully so.” 

“I’ll try. Guess… I have a lot to look forward to now.” 

“You do, don’t forget that.” When Aranea left Prompto, she made a detour on her way back to the ship. Normally she hadn’t thought much about the goings-on with the Crownsguard or Kingsglaive but she was thinking about the rumors again regarding Ignis. Although his appearance hadn’t been public knowledge yet, when it did come out… that was starting to worry her. The ex-commodore made her way to the headquarters of the Lucian military. 

Cor was pulling another all-nighter. It seemed to be the norm for him trying to organize the troops with Gladio still on his vacation. He was nodding off in his chair when a knock at the door pulled his attention there. Sitting up straighter in the seat he spoke. “Come in.” The Immortal was expecting one of his subordinates to walk in, but instead it was a woman that had opened the door. His gaze pulled at the ex-commodore as he regarded her. “You are… the commander of that drop ship.” 

“Marshall Cor Leonis?” Aranea inquired. 

“Yes.” He replied motioning her inside. He had seen the woman in passing but never had gotten a chance to speak to her given the nature of their jobs. The refugees that the woman dropped off always spoke highly of her though. “Mrs. Highwind correct?” 

“Miss Highwind actually.” Without preamble, she took a seat before the man looking him square in the eye. “I realize that this is sudden but I need a moment of your time.” 

Given that the woman never seemed to seek him out, the Immortal thought that matter was serious. “...I’m listening.” 

* * *

After Prompto said his goodbyes as Aranea left, he had retreated back to his apartment and settled in for the night. Normally Aranea didn’t stay in Lestallum long. He had always believed that she had much preferred traveling rather than being stuck at the capital. It was curious that he heard the unmistakable sound of the dropship taking off in the twilight hours. It was strange that she had left so late, but perhaps she had to grab some provisions before taking off again. She had one of the few functioning drop ships although there were some enthusiastic engineers trying to replicate more. It was a slow process much like everything else within the capital though. It came down to resources and it was hard to justify it while Lestallum was always building and doing upgrades to support the ever-growing population. 

Eventually, he would see Ignis again, there was no doubt about that. Prompto realized had been neglecting his own self as he tried to calm himself from the conversation with Aranea. The guilt of losing Ignis really had gotten to him. Maybe he had been too hard on Gladio not understanding that he was projecting his own grief. “Guess I owe you an apology too big guy.” 

The gunner found himself waking up unusually early. He did his usual tasks before heading to the checkpoint outside of Lestallum and did his rounds. It wasn’t long before he heard the sounds of growling coming closer towards him. Shining his body light in that direction, he could see a single daemon gargoyle. He closed his eyes briefly reaching into his armiger. His Quick Silver’s appeared holding them within his hands. Since he had gotten out of the hospital, he hadn’t really relied on them using the power of Ramuh to cull the massive hordes. The weaknesses of the weapon were apparent when he had that fateful encounter with the horde that day at Galdin Quay. 

Cid had been right. The gun was useless unless he had a steady supply of bullets. No matter how much ore he had been saving up he always feared it was never enough. He always made it a point to do his own excursions to the local mines when he did a daemon purge, but he hadn’t been using his guns regularly. It went beyond saving resources, he just didn’t know if he had it in him to use his weapons. He had thought his unpreparedness was the reason why he had killed Ignis, so he hadn’t bothered with the weapon that had always defined him. But now… as there was a glimmer of hope on the horizon he aimed the barrel of the gun at the creature. It brought back memories of happier times when he and his friends made their fateful journey from the Citadel across Eos. 

_ Don’t lose sight of what is important to you. _

It wasn’t sight… it was his heart. How could he have the heart to kill a daemon knowing that any one of them could be Iggy? He had always known that each daemon was a human or animal that had once been like him but it hadn’t hit him what that meant until he saw Ignis being taken away. “I wish there was a way to save you.” He whispered to the creature as it opened its jaw and snarled. As the beast charged Prompto’s finger squeezed the trigger, the sound of the shot echoing into the night. The gunner didn’t turn his eyes away watching the daemon heave as the life drained from it. 

If there ever came a point in time that it was possible to truly save someone from a fate such as this, Prompto vowed to use it. Every time he had used his pistols, it had always been to preserve his own life and the people around him. That had been where his thinking had stopped unable to see the bigger picture in front of him. He could justify killing Niflheim soldiers at the time for they had destroyed his home, and the daemons were mindless creatures that would kill him. But even if they were enemies… they were people just like him and who was he to render judgment? He remembered that the fanatical priests that preached Noctis had died said the starscourge had happened because of their sins. Before he would have dismissed it, but considering that Ramuh now protected him and Ignis was alive… perhaps there was some truth to those words. The body of the daemon disappeared leaving Prompto staring at the desolate area. “Forgive me.” He whispered not sure who he was apologizing to but it felt so right to say it. 


	4. Ardyn: Forgotten Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Once again you have entered the lands that do not belong to you Ardyn Lucis Caelum .” 
> 
> The absurdity of the statement had the Lucian King laughing. “You say these lands don’t belong to me? Funny how you told me in the past that I deserved it all .” 
> 
> “ In the past when you were pure and unsullied by the plague .” 
> 
> “Yet you never told me you thought I was corrupt as I spared people from a fate that was arguably worse than death itself.” 
> 
> “ You were meant to fall, Ardyn Lucis Caelum .” 
> 
> “And so I have… and I’ve come home. Given permission by the events that you have spurned in motion all for a King that is far too young to know the weight of his destiny.”

A/N: This chapter is about Ardyn and he normally doesn’t take long to write about. Thus the quick update. Having said that though, there will be a delay with the next chapter since I need to backtrack to _Ties that Bind_ and I have a seasonal fanfic that I’d like to publish before I move onto the next chapter of GB, thanks for understanding. You can check Trello to check my status (located in my profile)

Still in search for a beta reader/critic. Please be sure to reach out to me if this would be of interest to you. 

* * *

It was amazing that Ardyn hadn’t crashed his car as he finished the last leg of his journey to Insomnia. Concentrated starscourge dripped from his eyes, nose, lips and ears. He had left a noticeable trail of the blackened ooze behind him, yet he didn’t care. Such apathy was becoming his attitude with everything lately. He had lost count of the daemons he had eaten on his way to the capital but at the time, it had seemed like a good idea. It was better than turning back and trying to claim Ignis. He knew that he _shouldn’t_ … but the urge had been there the more distance he put between himself and the retainer. So instead of going back on his word, he had taken out his rage on the daemons instead. No matter what it was, the daemon was killed or devoured without so much as a thought. Now the voices in his head became unbearable as they kept mixing with his own. That had been the main reason why he had taken so long to come back here trying to filter out that confusion and process his own thought that he _had_ to come here. 

The other reason? His car had run out of gas leaving him to continue his journey by foot. Thankfully the walls of the city were within sight by the time that the engine had died. He supposed if he felt the need to explore Eos, snatching a car within the city was possible, but then the only purpose in leaving again would be to hunt down Ignis, so perhaps he’d stay here until Noctis appeared. 

Ardyn staggered as he finally reached what was left of Insomnia’s crown city. No longer protected by the magical wall, and the checkpoints leading into the city destroyed, the place was the first to become infected with daemons after the city fell in ruins during the blitzkrieg-like attack. The daemons seemed to sense something was wrong with Ardyn and for the first time, he noticed many of them fled not desiring to be anywhere near the Usurper. 

That genuinely made Ardyn laugh at their cowardness, but it wasn’t the daemons that he was concerned with. No, his children were rather trivial as of late. “Ifrit,” Ardyn murmured. “Come to me.” 

The tug that the Infernian felt called to him, although he took his time manifesting before Ardyn. The Astral might have dwarfed the demon as he looked down at the man that dared to corrupt him, yet he still retained some of his own mind. It was why Ifrit had manifested his sword, fire licking over the metal surface before striking it near his master. 

Ardyn didn’t so much as flinch from the display. Not that death was a fear, but he was used to these tug of wars he had with the Astral. Ifrit wanted to defy the Master that he had unwittingly been bound to but could not. This human that had dared touch him and corrupted the divine for nefarious reasons. Took information from him that no ordinary man should have ever seen. Regardless of their history, the Infernian was a formidable opponent. It was rare that he allowed the creature to roam about on his own. But Insomnia… this was home now. Short of the daemons, he would hunt around the abandoned city, there was no reason for him to go anywhere else. And so he allowed the Astral to be his gatekeeper as he took the city as his own. “You may destroy any that tread on the capital to your heart's content,” The demon started. Yet there was an exception for one. “All, but Scientia. I trust you remember him.” 

The Infernian regarded the False King speaking. “ _You try so hard to keep what does not belong to you_.” 

“...That boy _does_ belong to me.” Ardyn countered. 

A snort followed as Ifrit sneered at the demon. “ _And yet… here you stand alone._ ” 

That made Ardyn’s gaze turn to ice. In truth, the moment he had told Ignis he would release him, he regretted his words. There was no reason for him to just hand the retainer over to his people. And yet, Ardyn was having trouble watching Ignis struggle to even eat within the last few days they had spent together. He hadn’t tried to commit suicide again yet it felt each day Ardyn was pushing him to do just that. He had cornered the man, that had been the point in hindsight. All of his scheming and plans were to make Ignis realize how weak he was. But he had exposed himself in the process. 

The toy that he broke turned out to be the person he wanted the most. Everything about Ignis appealed to him, from that naive outlook he had to the world around him, that annoying loyalty, and the will to survive and defy his fate. The demon saw himself within the other man. The part of him he wanted to cast aside and that is why it hurt so much to see the object of his affection being destroyed by his own hands. “For the time being,” Ardyn murmured unable to refute the Infernian’s claim. “But that will change. Now do as you are told and keep the humans away from here.” 

Nothing more was said by Ifrit as he walked away from Ardyn. It was sickening but as long as he was able to be out of the Lucian King’s company, he would obey. But who would honestly come to such a desolate place? Even the boy that Ardyn desired so… he would have been a fool yet the Usurper seemed to be convinced he’d come here. 

* * *

The differences between the haves and have-nots in Insomnia was easy to spot as he entered from one of the many checkpoints. The houses were noticeably smaller, the areas cluttered and if anything, it looked like mini towns within the city itself. Although the people had long fled, there were still signs of people continuing their lives before that fateful day of the signing ceremony. Pushcarts of food (overturned and rotten by the elements), bicycles abandoned in the streets, cars half packed but unable to get out of the city because of traffic or the occupants had been attacked by MTs. 

Ardyn pitied none of them for they had all deserved it. His gaze moved to the citadel continuing his journey there and like the outer city, he was delighted to see more destruction as he climbed the steps. Before he could enter the building though there was an energy that the Usurper sensed that had him narrow his eyes. 

Several glowing swords descended around him, having Ardyn do nothing more than pause his steps. The blades he hadn’t seen in a few years, but he knew who they belonged to for the Draconian had made it a point to pierce him with each of them to get him to obey. In the darkened sky Ardyn looked up to see Bahamut. A smaller version of him that only seemed to be the size of a fully grown man. His real appearance easily dwarfed Ifrit. That was why, even though seeing the Astral before him inspired such visceral rage, he didn’t bother to attack the Astral knowing that it was likely just an illusion. “What do you want now?” 

“ _Once again you have entered the lands that do not belong to you Ardyn Lucis Caelum_.” 

The absurdity of the statement had the Lucian King laughing. “You say these lands don’t belong to me? Funny how you told me in the past that I deserved it _all_.” 

“ _In the past when you were pure and unsullied by the plague_.” 

“Yet you never told me you thought I was corrupt as I spared people from a fate that was arguably worse than death itself.” 

“ _You were meant to fall, Ardyn Lucis Caelum_.” 

“And so I have… and I’ve come home. Given permission by the events that you have spurned in motion all for a King that is far too young to know the weight of his destiny.” 

Bahamut was silent as he regarded the demon. “ _Your suffering will come to an end soon enough.”_

Still this Astral understood nothing. When had there ever been a point in his life where he hadn’t suffered? The Draconian had always acted as though his death was a mercy, but it didn’t feel that way. “No, you snake,” Ardyn growled. “The only suffering that will happen is watching the hope that you had for that one singular person to clean up your mess vanish.” And how he couldn’t _wait_ to crush Noctis. There was a smile that started to curl on the corner of his lips as he regarded the Astral. “I’ll even present his head on a pike just for you. Putting all of your hopes and dreams for the Chosen King... It was _you_ that was the foolish one for not stopping me when you had the chance. You for encouraging me to continue on this path of destruction and sin.” It was too late now though, Ardyn was past the point of being contained that much had become obvious. “It is _you_ who will reap what you sow.” 

Despite the threat given to him, Bahamut didn’t seem concerned. Still, there had to be an acknowledgment that Ardyn was where he needed to be for Noctis needed to come here to call the Kings of Yore for the final blow to the Usurper. 

Ardyn took Bahamut’s silence as proof enough that the Astral might have made a mistake. “Your arrogance has cost you the world and the people you’ve looked down upon will no longer need or respect you. Unless you are prepared to fight me yourself you whimpering excuse for a god… trouble me no more until your savior takes my life or dies in the process.” 

“ _Still you speak as though you know everything, wicked Accursed King._ ” 

To that Ardyn only smiled. “Perhaps you have rubbed off on me, Draconian. How does it feel to know you are responsible for the plight of man because you could not deal with another human becoming an Astral like yourself?” 

“ _You are no Astral_ …” Bahamut growled. “ _You merely have power that no human should have been given._ ” 

“No, that you never planned. That you never expected to bestow on your lowly subjects.” And just to prove his point he gathered the dark energy within the palms of his hands. Even as he did, the crackle of the unstable energy surprised even him. He had overfed on his way here in his frustration and despair more than he ever had in such a short span of time. “You turned _me_ into a monster… you are turning your Chosen King into a _monster._ And the sad truth is you put us against each other knowing that one has to fall and you will sit back and watch it unfold.” And it was so carefully orchestrated by Bahamut’s design. 

“ _Play your role Ardyn Lucis Caelum. That is all I ask of thee_.” 

The Draconian was a sickening creature, manipulating lives to his whims. He warped out of his makeshift prison of swords focusing his attention on Bahamut. Ardyn felt a rage building inside his core. “And so I shall… get out of my sight you wretched thing.” Without even hesitating he sent the dark energy at the Astral to make his statement crystal clear. Even from outside the walls of Insomnia, Ifrit could see the line of his Master’s power as it created a path of destruction within its wake. The Infernian narrowed his eyes, yet when Ardyn didn’t call him he turned his back refusing to find out what had caused such an outburst. 

The demon could see smoke staring at the damage. The blast caused a line of concrete to bow and in its wake, the sounds of buildings collapsing from neglect and damage from the first and second waves of Niflheim’s assaults had them crushed. The city was already empty so there were no people there, merely a relic of the once prosperous Lucian nation. If he had to level the city to see Bahamut leave him alone he would have. The Draconian seemed to always favor Lucis and its people. Even now Ardyn wondered if Bahamut was tied to being here by principle or mere whimsy. In either case, it appeared that the Astral had left as Ardyn when the god no longer appeared in the sky. 

Bahamut never appeared before him which both confused and fascinated the Lucian King. “Testing me no doubt.” He mused. Yet the Astral never tried to fight back which made him wonder what the point was for Bahamut to show himself after all of this time. The Usurper waited a bit longer, and when nothing else happened, he proceeded forward deeper into the citadel. Expelling that much energy was liberating in a way, it had the scourge he had been trying to hold in a way to get out of his system. Even the voices that had been nothing but a torrent of cluttered emotions and pieces of words seemed to calm after he released such power. 

If only it would have harmed Bahamut but he knew better than to get his hopes up. Within the walls of the chamber, the brutality of the desperate fight between the Lucians and Niflheim soldiers were painfully obvious. The only audience that Ardyn had as he strode down the halls were the portraits of his family ancestors. Each one a testament of their legacy one king at a time - some just as corrupt as Somnus and some more pious than even Ardyn. Their names no longer mattered though, nor had they protected what was once their mighty kingdom. 

Just about everything of worth in the citadel had been looted, pillaged, destroyed, or defaced by the Niflheim Empire when they had besieged the capital. The remnants of magitek soldiers and the skeletons of Lucian soldiers littered the halls giving testament to their last stand. Aldercapt had certainly fulfilled his role well enough during the treaty ceremony. It was a pity that the fool was so fixated on that damned crystal he couldn’t see that Ardyn had already corrupted him to do his bidding knowing that the reward he sought would never come into fruition. 

The ring was to be used by those under the Lucis Caelum name alone. Anyone else was deemed unworthy of the power. It was poetic in a way knowing that Somnus had always believed himself above others with no consequence. And what did keeping the power of the Kings accomplish in the end? A slow death of each of Somnus’s descendants, their lifeforce being stolen by wielding the power of their ancestors and having the souls of the previous leaders imprisoned for all eternity. What a blessing - no what a curse they all had deserved and brought on themselves. 

Ardyn already knew where he wanted to go within the citadel. A few times on business he had been called to Insomnia for diplomacy and the hospitable hosts that Regis always saw him to the throne room. It was the room that held power for it represented the sovereignty of the nation, but also all eyes would be upon him to prevent Ardyn and any other Niflheim diplomats from acting out. Unlike before though, there would be no guards keeping their gaze on him, nor would he have the bureaucrats muttering under their breath about how out of place he looked to represent Niflheim. 

Down a hallway, he pushed open the doors leading into the chamber. His gaze stared up at the throne remembering the last time he had been here. When it hadn’t been covered in the blood of the deceased, where the walls weren’t peppered in bullet holes and covered in grime and dust, littered with bones and twisted machinery. Ardyn had smiled at Regis as he offered “peace”. A chance to lay down their arms and hold hands as if the last hundred - no nearly two thousand years hadn’t meant anything to the Lucian people. It had become apparent Regis had known it was a trap, yet he sentenced his own people to their fate to protect Noctis. All for the sake of a prophecy… all to see _him_ destroyed. 

He proceeded forward, ascending the stairs. As Ardyn reached the top, he stared at the throne with a morbid curiosity. It had changed since Somnus had tricked him into coming here to view the fabled crystal in his more innocent days. Each revamp of the throne room covered up the lies and deceit of days long past. But for now, Ardyn could claim it as his own. He sat in the chair as a long sigh stretched from his lips. “So this is what it would be like eh?” He mused glancing at the floor below. 

Ardyn imagined the people that would kneel before him at the beginning of the stairs, paying their respects to his remarkable healing power. And here he would have ruled as piously as he could have, doing everything in his power to save every one of his subjects and led them to prosperity. At the time, the plan - or rather the idea of it had been laid out perfectly. He had been an idealist, Somnus had always accused him of being too soft, too understanding to… _human_. Yet his human shell had earned him the title of “monster” in his final days before being cast into the darkness. But it wasn’t just he who had suffered a fate worse than death it was another. He knew there was a woman that had always been at his side but the name escaped him. 

Curious. 

No… in the end this was about him and how he had been cheated by the gods. He had to continue for if this wasn’t done then he’d never be free of the nightmares and daemons. What he wanted as a human seemed so trivial now for as he imagined what ruling would be like he recalled Somnus as the old Wall. A spirit that could be wielded by his predecessors at any time. A weapon that got no peace in even death. Somnus might have learned of his own fate far too late, but even with the ails the starscourge presented at least Ardyn had retained his body for his use. 

The demon's lips pressed into a thin line. “A pawn to the gods regardless…” Their family was cursed from the very beginning much like the Fleurets. “The wielders blessed with the ability to use magic bestowed by the gods…” Sacrifice disguised as altruism, it made the demon want to puke since no Astral was willing to lay down their own life but expected Ardyn and Noctis to do so without question. They were more devilish than Ardyn had given them credit for. No matter… it would all be settled in time. The question was if he would fall to the blade of his rival willingly or not. 

Ardyn might not have cared about his own life, but his obsession with Ignis was throwing a wrench into his plans. That boy might have made living tolerable even if he was a mortal. That was why he could justify killing Noctis. As long as his descendant lived he’d never be able to own Ignis (not in the way he wanted). Even if Ignis somehow changed his mind and came to him out of his own volition, and there was a slim chance that would be the case, Noctis would no doubt try to rescue his friend. Ardyn had simply killed too many people both directly and indirectly to be left in peace with his prize. Bahamut most certainly would have told the Chosen King his fate by now. Although as he was noting with the Draconian, Bahamut spoke in half-truths to further his own means to an end. 

So the question was not if he and Noctis would fight to the death, but would he be okay with accepting it. If Ardyn died, Somnus’s last heir would join him in the process, else this cycle would keep repeating itself. The wrongs that had plagued him for centuries would be at an end and he knew that the crystal would be nothing more than a grandiose paperweight that no longer had any material meaning other than what mankind would make after the end of days. 

But if Ardyn beat Noctis… that was the defeat of the Astral’s champion and the last chance to see the sunrise on Eos. He would be unstoppable and have Ignis without any more interference. Eventually, the demon would have to figure out a way to make Ignis immortal to make the most out of it. In the end, perhaps he would have no choice to demonify the other man to keep him from aging, let alone escaping death. Never had he thought of trying to retain someone’s humanity when he corrupted them, but for Ignis… he supposed there was always an exception. If only Verstael was around… perhaps he could challenge the man to think of something besides using a core to harvest the soul. Such a pity he was gone now knowing that the madman would have loved to try his hand at it. Ardyn shut his eyes pondering the dilemma as memories of daemons started to flood into his mind and for once, he didn’t try to stop their wicked violent thoughts from suppressing his own. 

* * *

The world continued to move as each day ticked by, but still Ardyn had remained alone. It was hard to tell how long he had just spent sitting on the throne. The rare times where he moved usually had him hunting down daemons in the area. They were attracted to Insomnia (and perhaps him in hindsight) which allowed for easier feeding 

He sighed standing up again. It wasn’t what he had pictured, the satisfaction he always hoped for was dampened for some reason. He _had_ wanted this, the complete destruction of his family’s legacy had been carefully orchestrated for years after Verstael had freed him. They deserved it... yet the exaltation that he thought he would have seeing the city in ruins was just… gone. 

Ardyn was frustrated once again. The throne and everything that it had represented was unbearably lackluster. This room should have been the seat of everything and anything in Eos yet as he stared around him, it was nothing more than an empty box. That was bothering the demon. But there was something else that he couldn’t shake. They were memories of Insomnia of being in these very walls when it was crowded with bodies and the sounds of business, royal decrees, and the occasional prank was pulled by two young boys that called the citadel their home. 

At first, Ardyn couldn’t understand why the memory was so vivid until he realized who one of the children was. In a different time, Noctis had once been outgoing and extroverted before he knew the weight of the crown. By his side… _always_ by his side was Ignis. Ardyn’s mouth pressed into a thin line. He should have expelled those memories yet he hesitated in doing so. The demon found himself moving off of the throne propelled by the other man’s memories. 

The deeper he walked in the citadel, he found himself being drawn to the royal chambers. Away from the prying eyes of the people that they governed, the area was a quiet place where the King, his family, guests, and loyal servants rested from the duties of the day. Like much of the building, it was lavish and meant to impress guests that happened to be staying. 

For Ardyn though, it wasn’t the master room that once had been Regis’s that had called out to him, it was the one beside it. Even stepping inside, he could see where the troops that were in charge of looking for documents of worth had ransacked Noctis’s room. If it couldn’t be looted, it was broken in the process. The destruction hinted at the ire they felt towards the Prince even after he had departed to Altissia. A strange figure did hold his attention by the bed. A carved wooden statue seemed to be of a small creature with a horn sticking out of its forehead. A strange animal that was too small to be held like a stuffed animal but Ardyn could swear he sensed magical energy coming from the piece. No matter, he ignored it as he proceeded further in the room. 

The demon’s boots crunched glass that made him look down. It was a picture frame, and he saw Noctis bound in a wheelchair along with a woman with blonde hair and startling blue eyes doting on the boy. It had made the demon pause knowing that he _knew_ of someone like her. Crouching down he picked up the discarded portrait staring at it closely. There was something important that he was supposed to remember about the woman. It was on the fringes of his mind, but he still could not collect his thoughts to form a reason why she was important. There was a woman with shorter hair that was dressed in white and had a hairpiece. The more that he tried to recall the memory he was left with an unexplainable hole that frustrated him. In the end he decided that though it bothered him, it wasn’t worth giving himself a headache over. He tossed the picture frame suddenly uninterested in exploring Noctis’s room further. 

It had been a long-standing tradition for the Lucis Caelum's to only have one or two children every generation to limit infighting when it came to the next King to ascend the throne. That policy he had always suspected was Somnus fearing another situation like the one that he had to deal with Ardyn was avoided. It made sense then that Regis never did have another child when he learned that Noctis was the chosen King. But even still, the boy needed company… The Usurper stopped when another memory washed over him. Noctis as a child creeping into the room across from his own when a nightmare had frightened him or a royal etiquette lesson needed more clarification. Technically Ignis had his own room, but the boys often slept together to keep each other company which was an encouraged practice to have them bond. 

Ardyn opened the door to Ignis’s room, like Noctis’s, it was a complete mess, but the stark differences between the rooms was more than obvious. Ignis appeared to be a bookworm. It seemed that he had his own mini-library stuffed within the shelves of the room now discarded, spines bent and pages torn out as if the Niflheim soldiers expected secret documents to be hidden within the pages (none would be found of course). 

Like Noctis, Ignis had a few picture frames though many were of just Noctis and him as they grew up together. One seemed to be taken when Noctis was dressed up preparing for what looked like a ball or other event with Ignis naturally joining him. The demon reached for the picture staring at the two men. The man that he loved was always in toe with the man that he hated. He knew that he had to keep his goal close to his heart else he would lose himself to the daemons inside of his head. Unconsciously, Ardyn knew that his recollection was going to be harder, no longer able to separate his own memories with those that he had absorbed. He pocketed the picture knowing that he would have to look at it to remember… he couldn’t bear the thought of forgetting Ignis. It went more than just losing sight of the object of his affection, but the real fear was forgetting his purpose. He wanted a companion and he would have him. Ignis was the only person in this rotten world that was _remotely_ worth living for. 

The demon felt tired as he stared at Ignis’s bed. It had dust caked on the comforter, but it looked a hell of a lot more comforting than the throne. The sheets were pulled away before Ardyn just collapsed on the bed. It had been a while since the retainer had slept here, but Ardyn could swear he could smell Ignis even as his gaze pulled at the ceiling. This is where his lover spent the majority of his life so he was drawn to it more so than even the accursed throne room he had once longed to have. Maybe that alone was why Ardyn finally found himself able to relax. Ignis’s memories were becoming more prominent than even his own. That should have worried him in hindsight. 

But as he closed his eyes picturing the days Ignis spent joining Regis with royal council meetings, him desperately trying to bake that Tenebrean dessert that Noctis loved, even brushing up on his combat skills it was just fitting. Eventually, the demon would have to purge them from his mind but for now, he’d enjoy the memories as they played in his head over and over again. He hoped Ignis would come see him… even if only once. Peace was a luxury that rarely was afforded to Ardyn, and though he couldn’t sleep, this was the closest action he could mimic to being remotely human. 


End file.
